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)