Largest-ever haj pilgrimage winds up<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The last plane bringing home Indonesians from
\nthe haj pilgrimage touched down at the Halim Perdanakusuma
\nairport yesterday morning, bringing to a close the largest-ever
\nhaj operation organized by the government.<\/p>\n
However, not all of the 195,000 pilgrims sent to Mecca came
\nhome.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Religious Affairs, which coordinates the haj
\npilgrimage each year, said that 538 Indonesians died during the
\npilgrimage, mostly as a result of illnesses they left home with.<\/p>\n
Another 12 pilgrim are still being treated in Saudi hospitals.<\/p>\n
Ministry officials were quick to point out that the number of
\ndeaths represented a significant decline from last year, when 640
\nof an Indonesian haj contingent of 165,000 died. In percentage
\nterms, this year's fatalities represented 0.27 percent of the
\ntotal number of pilgrims, as compared with 0.42 percent last
\nyear.<\/p>\n
Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher, who greeted the
\npassengers disembarking from the last haj flight at the airport
\nyesterday, told reporters that the government would continue to
\ntry to reduce the casualty rates in future haj operations.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that some of the pilgrims who died knew of
\ntheir poor health before leaving, but concealed it from the
\nauthorities in the belief that to die during the haj pilgrimage
\nwas a form of martyrdom.<\/p>\n
He added that some of the pilgrims had been saving almost
\ntheir entire working lives to make the trip, and that nothing,
\nnot even failing health, could prevent them from taking part in
\nthe trip.<\/p>\n
The minister said the government would continue to remind
\nwould-be pilgrims that physical preparation was essential before
\nleaving for Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
As a matter of policy, the government is urging people not to
\nwait until they are past 60 or, in some cases, even 70 years of
\nage, before making the pilgrimage. The majority of Indonesian
\npilgrims who died were 60 or more years old.<\/p>\n
\"However, we do not advise children to go on the haj
\npilgrimage, even if their parents can afford it,\" Tarmizi said.<\/p>\n
Other VIPs welcoming the last group of returning Indonesian
\npilgrims were Saudi Ambassador Abdullah Abdulrahman Alim,
\nMinister of Health Sujudi, Director General of Immigration A.
\nPranowo, Chairman of Commission IX of the House of
\nRepresentatives Ismail Hasan and Jakarta Vice Governor R.S.
\nMoeseno.<\/p>\n
The operation to bring home the Indonesian pilgrims proceeded
\nsmoothly, in marked contrast to the chaos seen during the first
\nweek of their departures, when thousands of people booked on the
\nfirst flights turned out not to have a visa from the Saudi
\nembassy.<\/p>\n
Some 40,000 applicants were unable to make the trip because
\nIndonesia, for the first time, exceeded the quota allocated for
\nits pilgrims by the Saudi government.<\/p>\n
Tarmizi yesterday warned that people who are considering
\nmaking the pilgrimage next year should apply as early as possible
\nto ensure they get a place.<\/p>\n
\"We will close the registration as soon as the number of
\napplicants reaches the quota,\" he said, adding that next year's
\nquota was likely to remain at 195,000.<\/p>\n
Priority would be given to people who applied this year but
\nwere prevented from leaving because of the quota, he said.<\/p>\n
Applicants who did not get their money back would not need to
\npay any additional sum next year, he added, while those who did
\nseek a refund would have to pay an extra fee if they applied
\nagain.<\/p>\n
The government will review the cost of the pilgrimage for next
\nyear, taking into account the inflation rate and variations in
\nthe exchange rate of the U.S. dollar and the Saudi real, he said.<\/p>\n
This year, pilgrims paid just over Rp 7 million to make the
\ntrip. (imn)<\/p>",
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