Government urged to manage haj better
Government urged to manage haj better
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Haj Brotherhood called on the
government yesterday to manage the dispatch of nearly 200,000
Indonesians on haj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia more efficiently.
"The journey to Mecca is a spiritual thing. The concentration
of the pilgrims should not be disrupted by logistical problems,"
Sulastomo, the chairman of the brotherhood, told a hearing with
the House of Representatives's Commission IX which deals with
religious issues.
Sulastomo listed a number of problems that a pilgrim may face
between registering and performing the haj rituals, which all
Moslems are expected to do at least once.
He cited complex procedures in registration and the
preparation stages before departure, and poor catering for the
pilgrims on the ground in Saudi Arabia.
Most pilgrims in the past were accommodated in lodgings that
had no clear telephone number or address, making it impossible
for relatives at home to contact them, he said. The organizers
also failed to warn pilgrims beforehand about the distances
between their accommodation and the mosque in Mecca, he added.
The massive haj operation, which involves sending nearly
200,000 people from here to Saudi Arabia, is coordinated by the
Ministry of Religious Affairs and involves the national carrier
Garuda Indonesia and various other government agencies.
Climax
The haj pilgrimage will reach its climax this year on April
28. The first flights taking Indonesian pilgrims will leave
Jakarta and various other cities on March 23.
A total of 195,000 Indonesians have registered for the
pilgrimage in line with the quota allocated by the Saudi
government.
The Indonesian Haj Brotherhood is an influential private
organization with more than 200,000 members, with patronage from
President Soeharto, Vice President Try Sutrisno and former vice
presidents Sudharmono and Umar Wirahadikusumah.
The brotherhood has big financial clout and has built the
luxury Haj General Hospital in Pondok Gede in East Jakarta, runs
several banks and organizes an annual golf competition to raise
funds.
Sulastomo suggested that to improve the way the haj is
managed, the government should allow the private sector to be
more involved in the operation; at the moment, only the VIP
version of the haj is organized by the private sector at prices
twice or three times more than those offered by Rp 7 million
charged by the government.
The catering for Indonesian pilgrims could be given to local
companies rather than contracted out to Saudi firms, he said.
He also suggested greater computerization.
Last year, the government's haj operation turned chaotic when
many people who were listed on the first flights to leave did not
have the necessary visa for Saudi Arabia, creating massive
congestion in airports.
Sulastomo also suggested using new embarkation points to avoid
congestion.
The government last year added Sepinggan airport in Balikpapan
to the list of Jakarta, Medan, Surabaya and Ujungpandang.
Sulastomo said Surakarta (Solo) and Denpasar should be
considered for inclusion next year. (01)