Enough is enough: Said Agil

BATAM, Riau: Minister of Religious Affairs Said Agil Husein Al Munawar said on Tuesday the government would not ask the Saudi Arabian government for a larger quota for Indonesians who wish to go on the 2005 haj pilgrimage.

Said Agil said he was still smarting from the brouhaha that marked this year's haj season as a result of Indonesia's failure to secure 30,000 extra places that the ministry had promised the public. Some 50,000 pilgrims had registered with the ministry and paid their haj fees.

"If someone asks me whether we will ask for more haj places, my answer will be 'No, thank you'," Said Agil said on the sidelines of a visit here.

This year, 205,000 Indonesians went on the haj pilgrimage. A country's haj quota equals 0.1 percent of its Muslim population.

Tragedy also marked this year's haj pilgrimage when 57 Indonesians were among more than 300 people killed in a stampede at the end of the pilgrimage on Feb. 1. -- Antara