Commission VIII of the House of Representatives supports call to postpone umrah departures

Jakarta (ANTARA) — Deputy Chair of Commission VIII of the House of Representatives Abdul Wachid has endorsed an appeal from the government urging prospective umrah pilgrims scheduled to depart for the Holy Land in the near term to postpone their travel.

“We urge the public to postpone their umrah journey for now, whether planned for the end of Ramadhan or during Ramadhan. We must wait until there is an official announcement regarding subsequent security guarantees. The safety of lives is the utmost priority that cannot be compromised,” Wachid said, as quoted in Jakarta on Monday.

He subsequently requested that the government, through the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (Kemenhaj), act quickly to mitigate risks for tens of thousands of Indonesian umrah pilgrims following the escalation of the geopolitical situation in the Middle East, which has resulted in airspace closures and disruptions to international flight schedules.

Abdul Wachid emphasised that Commission VIII of the House of Representatives continues to maintain intensive coordination with the government to monitor the safety of pilgrims currently in Saudi Arabia as well as those still travelling.

He also stressed the importance of synergy between travel organisers and state authorities. Wachid requested that travel agencies or Umrah Pilgrimage Travel Organisers (PPIU) act proactively and take full responsibility towards their pilgrims.

“I request travel agencies (PPIU) to truly take responsibility and work fully with the Government. No pilgrim should be left without clarity. At the same time, the government through Kemenhaj must maintain very intensive communication with the Indonesian diplomatic missions in transit countries and all other relevant stakeholders to ensure the protection of our pilgrims,” he stated.

Earlier, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah had appealed to prospective umrah pilgrims scheduled to depart for the Holy Land in the near term to postpone their travel in light of the increasingly dynamic and uncertain security situation in the Middle East region.

Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak confirmed that the appeal represents the government’s caution in ensuring the safety of citizens.

“Considering the unstable conditions in the Middle East and the escalating intensity, we urge umrah pilgrims scheduled to depart in the near future to postpone their departure,” said the Deputy Minister.