'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.