Government closes haj registration

JAKARTA (JP): Registration for next year's Islamic holy pilgrimage to Mecca was closed yesterday by the government, after it secured 154,280 applicants, who have registered and paid their Rp 7.29 million (US$3,230) fee in full.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs, which coordinates the haj pilgrimage for Indonesians, said the number was reached at 10:45 a.m. yesterday.

"The counters which accept the registrations and payments for the pilgrimage at designated banks throughout Indonesia were automatically closed," a statement, signed by Director General for Islam and Haj Affairs Amidhan, read.

Indonesia has been allocated a quota of 195,000 people for the 1996 pilgrimage by the Saudi government.

When the Indonesian government opened this year's registration, on Sept. 1, the first 40,720 openings were taken by those people who had been bumped from this year's pilgrimage registration because of an excess in the quota.

The government originally anticipated that the quota would be filled within two months of opening registration.

A new system for registration was introduced for the 1996 pilgrimage, in which pilgrims registering must immediately pay their fees in full.

Amidhan said that the use of Garuda Indonesia's network in the registration helped the government monitor the number of applicants, allowing it to decide to close registration yesterday.

Meanwhile, the state run television station TVRI stated in a news dispatch on Sunday evening that Minister of Information Harmoko and his wife left for Mecca on Friday to perform umrah, the lesser pilgrimage, which is performed outside the time of the haj proper.

Harmoko, who is also the chairman of Golkar, the ruling political group, is accompanied by Quraisyi Sihab and Effendi Zarkasy, both of the Indonesian Ulema Council. (emb)