Ujungpandang batch first to leave for haj<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Information Mohammad Yunus
\nofficiated Thursday night at the departure of the first group of
\npilgrims to Saudi Arabia from Hasanuddin airport in Ujungpandang,
\nAntara reported Friday.<\/p>\n
Accompanied by South Sulawesi Governor HZB Palaguna, Yunus
\ncalled on the pilgrims to show solidarity during their pilgrimage
\nand pray for the recovery of their country.<\/p>\n
The first group from Ujungpandang consists of 344 people.<\/p>\n
Pilgrims were set to depart from Ujungpandang in 62 groups,
\nfollowed by 43 groups from Jakarta and 32 groups from Surabaya.<\/p>\n
The governor said South Sulawesi residents should be grateful
\nfor being able to make up the largest proportion of the
\ngovernment's quota. Out of a quota of 16,500 for the province,
\nthere were 16,319 pilgrims.<\/p>\n
He noted most pilgrims were from lucky farming families.
\nWhile the plunge in the value of the rupiah has brought
\nmisfortune to many, cash crop farmers including coffee farmers in
\nthe province have seen a rise in income.<\/p>\n
Earlier on Wednesday night Yunus saw off the first group of
\npilgrims from Adisumarmo airport in Surakarta, Central Java,
\naccompanied by Central Java Governor Mardiyanto.<\/p>\n
The pilgrims there, mostly from the regencies of Banyumas,
\nCilacap and Wonogiri, boarded a new rented Boeing 767.<\/p>\n
\"This is a new plane, only four weeks out of the factory,\"
\nDirector General of Air Transportation Soenaryo Yosopratomo said.<\/p>\n
A total of 71,078 haj pilgrims were scheduled to fly out in
\n180 groups from six airports: Adisumarno in Surakarta, Central
\nJava; Soekarno-Hatta in Jakarta; Juanda in Surabaya, East Java;
\nHasanuddin in Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi; Polonia in Medan,
\nNorth Sumatra, and Sepinggan in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
The figures indicate a sharp drop from last year's 201,961
\npilgrims in 456 groups. The pilgrimage is compulsory for
\nfinancially and physically able Muslims.<\/p>\n
Minister of Religious Affairs Malik Fadjar and Yunus will see
\noff the first group from Jakarta at 9 p.m. on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The groups are slated to return from April 2 through April 27.
\n(edt\/har)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ujungpandang-batch-first-to-leave-for-haj-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}