'Graft' blamed for poor haj management

'Graft' blamed for poor haj management

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The House of Representatives claims it has uncovered systemic
corruption that contributes to the poor management of the annual
haj pilgrimage and led to poor services during the recent
pilgrimage season.

Marissa Haque Fawzi, a member of a House team tasked with
monitoring the recent pilgrimage, said her team had discovered
systemic graft as well as a lack of services to which pilgrims
were entitled.

"We found that systemic corruption was rampant in the
registration process, haj document arrangements, haj training
programs and dormitory affairs before the pilgrims departed for
Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Then, the second chain (of malfeasance) is
transportation facilities both at home and overseas, and
dormitory and catering services in the holy land," she told The
Jakarta Post here on Wednesday.

Marissa, who is a well-known actress-cum-legislator from the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said the team
had presented its findings to House leaders.

She criticized the Ministry of Religious Affairs, which
monopolizes the management of the pilgrimage, for never being
accountable for the annual program.

"All pilgrims are obliged to pay Rp 20 million (US$2,222) one
year before departure, but the Ministry of Religious Affairs has
never been transparent in the use of the huge amount of funds
before the haj season," she said.

"Investigation in the field revealed that all fares, catering
and dormitory costs are usually paid only one month before the
pilgrimage season," she added. Indonesia recently sent more than
205,000 pilgrims to Mecca.

Marissa revealed that either before departure or during the
pilgrimage in Mecca and Madina, the pilgrims received fewer and
poorer services than pilgrims from Malaysia and Singapore.

"Malaysian pilgrims receive better services because of the
transparency in the administration of haj pilgrimage," she said.

Citing examples, she said Malaysian pilgrims were housed in
areas close to the Masjidil Haram Grand Mosque in Mecca and
accommodated in good dormitories, while Malaysia Airlines planes
had a designated parking area at King Abdul Aziz International
Airport, so that there were no delays in their flights home
during the recent pilgrimage.

"The Indonesian pilgrims paid Rp 4.2 million more than
Malaysian pilgrims. And many of our pilgrims died because of poor
and belated medical treatment. Our pilgrims were placed in remote
housing areas and almost all of their rooms were overcrowded,"
she said.

Marissa said that the House team concluded that the poor
services for Indonesian pilgrims had a lot to do with the lack of
transparency in the pilgrimage's administration and the
government's monopoly in managing haj affairs.

"Based on our recommendations given at a recent House plenary
session, Law No. 17/1999 on the haj pilgrimage should be reviewed
to end the government's monopoly. The Ministry of Religious
Affairs should no longer serve as the regulator and
simultaneously as the operator. The two functions could allow for
rampant and prolific graft in organizing the pilgrimage," she
said.

She suggested that Indonesia learn from Malaysia about how to
be transparent in organizing the haj pilgrimage.

Malaysia set up a state-owned company specifically tasked with
organizing the haj pilgrimage, so its pilgrims get better
services, she said.

Apart from that, the company has managed to annually raise
huge amounts of money to help support Malaysia's national
development program, she added.

Marissa said the profit-orientated company, Lembaga Tabung
Malaysia, which collects around Rp 506 billion annually from
around 22,000 pilgrims, has established numerous buildings and
hospitals across the country to provide services for Malaysian
pilgrims.

It also set up a trust fund for pilgrims and invested in the
property and construction fields in Malaysia, she added.

"The (Indonesian) government has annually raised Rp 5.3
trillion from around 220,000 pilgrims, but only has several haj
dormitories and one haj hospital and has set up one trust fund.

"The Indonesian Corruption Watch has even called for a
thorough investigation into the alleged corruption in the
construction of the haj dormitory in Pondok Gede (near East
Jakarta)," she said.