AGO undecided on Akbar pilgrimage

AGO undecided on Akbar pilgrimage

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

As controversy continues to rage around House of
Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung's planned haj pilgrimage,
despite his status as a suspect in an alleged Rp 40 billion scam,
Attorney General MA Rachman says he had not decided whether to
let Akbar travel to Mecca or not.

"We've just read the request of Akbar Tandjung for a haj
pilgrimage. We are yet to make a decision on a possible travel
ban," Rachman said on Wednesday.

Akbar, who also chairs the Golkar Party, has been implicated
in the alleged misuse of National Logistics Agency (Bulog) funds
when he was the minister/state secretary in 1999.

The Attorney General's Office has required Akbar to seek its
approval for his trip to the Holy Land as the office continues
its investigation into the scandal.

Pressure has mounted on the office to allow Akbar to go ahead
with his plan, including from a group of Golkar supporters from
Aceh who vowed to declare a jihad in defense of Akbar.

Akbar renewed his claim on Wednesday saying that he had
planned his pilgrimage for a long time. He said he would be
available for questioning any time before his scheduled departure
on Feb. 14.

He has performed the pilgrimage more than once before.

"I have planned the trip for a long time, but I will comply
with the legal process. I respect the law," Akbar said after
meeting scholar and old friend Ridwan Saidi.

Muslim figure Masdar Farid Mas'udi has warned that Akbar was
seeking a loophole in the country's legal system. Masdar said
Akbar should delay his trip for the sake of legal process given
the fact that he had already performed a haj pilgrimage.

House legislators meanwhile were cautious in response to the
controversy.

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle legislator Dwi Ria
Latifa said that the Attorney General's Office should take both
religious and justice points of view into consideration before
making a final decision.

National Awakening Party legislator Yusuf Muhammad said Akbar
should delay his plan for the sake of the legal process now
underway.

"Anything that has to be done will be more compulsory than
sunnah," Yusuf said in reference to actions which are considered
good for Muslims to complete but not mandatory.

According to Islamic law, the first haj pilgrimage is
compulsory for Muslims while the next series of pilgrimages is
termed sunnah.

However, Golkar legislator Akil Mochtar emphasized that
planning for a haj trip was a call from God and therefore nobody
could halt the plan.