Ban demanded on VIP haj service

JAKARTA: A team of lawmakers evaluating the services for Indonesian haj pilgrims called on Monday for an end to first- class services given to state officials while on pilgrimage.

The team suggested that the Indonesian Embassy in Saudi Arabia focus on services for regular haj pilgrims.

"Extra services given to state officials in the past had been provided by sacrificing services for regular pilgrims," said Heri Akhmadi, deputy chairman of House Commission VI for haj and education affairs.

There were more than 200 state officials, both from legislative bodies and government institutions, requesting extra facilities while they were making the haj pilgrimage in the last season early this year. The first-class treatment was estimated to reach Rp 5 billion, taken from the fees paid by the regular pilgrims.

The Saudi Arabian government has allocated Indonesia with 205,000 pilgrims for the next haj season in February 2004. Heri said 75 percent of them would share a housing complex, which, although quite far from the Haram Grand Mosque in Mecca, provided better facilities. -- JP