First pilgrims return from haj Monday evening
First pilgrims return from haj Monday evening
JAKARTA (JP): The first flight bringing Indonesian haj pilgrims from Saudi Arabia will arrive in Jakarta on Monday.
The flight, which will include Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher, is scheduled to arrive at the Halim Perdanakusuma airport at around 6 p.m., a spokesman for the ministry told The Jakarta Post last night.
Tarmizi is the Amirul Haj, or the chief delegate of the 197,000 strong Indonesian contingent, for this year's haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
Other government officials on Garuda Indonesia flight GA 7102 on Monday include Minister of Public Works Radinal Moochtar, Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman and Jakarta Governor Surjadi Soedirdja, the spokesman said.
The flight will mark the beginning of the second and last phase of this year's haj operation which is coordinated by the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
The first phase, flying them from Indonesia to Saudi Arabia, was marred by disorder during its first week in April because many pilgrims had not been issued with visas for Saudi. The departures became smoother in the second week.
But, because of the chaos in the departures, the return of pilgrims, who are divided into flight groups, will not be in order, according to the spokesman. He pointed out that Tarmizi would in fact be boarding Flight Group 4's plane.
Officials are confident that there will be no hitches in bringing the pilgrims home.
The operation is scheduled to be completed by June 13.
Some 25 wide-bodied jets have been prepared by Garuda Indonesia to bring the 197,000 Indonesian pilgrims home. Together, they will make 453 flights out of Jeddah.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Religious Affairs announced six more Indonesian pilgrims died yesterday, bringing the total dead to 158 so far.
Most of the dead were over 60 years old and had died of heart failure. The number is expected to increase in the next months because dozens of people are currently in Saudi hospitals after the physically demanding haj rituals.
Last year a total of 638, out of nearly 165,000, Indonesian pilgrims died in Saudi Arabia by the end of the pilgrimage.
The 197,000 pilgrims Indonesia sent this year represents a record, forcing the Saudi government to enforce a quota for the first time against Indonesia.
Some 240,000 people originally applied to go, but the government had to turned down more than 40,000 applicants because they didn't anticipate the quota. Those put on the waiting list have been promised priority on next year's pilgrimage. (imn)