Ban demanded on VIP haj service

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