A recurring problem

Indonesia sent 165,000 haj pilgrims to Mecca this year -- a 25 percent increase from last year. By the end of the century the number is expected to reach 200,000, which is far beyond the allocation set by the government of Saudi Arabia: one per million Indonesians.

The increase, apparently made possible by an improved economy, means that the government will face a tougher task from year to year. The problem of sending Moslems to perform the sixth basic tenet of Islam is how to arrange their transportation within a limited period, to bring them together to perform a ritual at the same time spot at the same time, together with millions of others who come from various corners of the globe.

In addition there is the problem of providing them with satisfactory accommodations, of serving them with healthy food both at the haj centers here and in the Holy Land and take care of their health. And since the number of pilgrims in the future will surely exceed the quota set by the Saudi government, Indonesia has also to find ways to overcome those problems. The problem is not easy because for every Moslem the haj pilgrimage also has sentimental value.

Garuda, the national carrier, seems to be convinced that it can handle transportation by itself and the Minister of Transpiration has rejected the idea of letting private airlines take part in the business. The minister's statement must have been received as a big relief for the state-owned airline company because transporting such a great number of people from one of the countries located furthest from Saudi Arabia every year is no small task, although private airlines might ask the government why they are not allowed to join the business.

Every year we have been shocked to hear of the number of pilgrims who die there. And this year the news about the death toll is even more dismal. According the Ministry of Religious Affairs 632 pilgrims died this year, although the weather was less severe compared to that in previous years. The high toll might have been caused by the physical condition of pilgrims of advanced age because health services are said to be good.

Whatever the case may be, to reduce the number of fatalities it is necessary for the haj organizers to once in a while check the food at the local haj centers, its nutritious aspects and quality, because at the Jakarta haj center, for example, pilgrims come from as far as Lampung in South Sumatra and Central Java, by bus. After a 24-hour rest they have to leave for Jeddah, from where many of them have to proceed to Medina on an eight-hour bus trip. The people who experience this strenuous journey seriously need good food.

Many pilgrims have also said that the haj organizers should find better accommodation in Mecca, where the pilgrims remain for approximately 22 of their 40-day stay in Saudi Arabia. But the demand seems to be a far cry from becoming reality since the government has said that for the present fare of Rp 6.9 million (US3,280) no better accommodation is available.

So how can now the Ministry of Religious Affairs try to lower the haj fare? Many of the pilgrims come from the less privileged groups of our society. Many people believe that only Garuda can reduce the fare. The government has said that airfare is high in this country because each pilgrim has to pay two return fares since the planes that take them to the Holy Land have to return home empty while to take them back from Saudi Arabia the planes leave Indonesia empty. On the other hand, it is a fact that Garuda just picks up the pilgrims right at the tarmac and does not have to spend money on promotional activities.

But above all, the haj business should be run transparently because it deals with so many people every year and the whole nation is interested in the operations.