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)