Haj visas possible for green passport-holders: Ambassador

JAKARTA (JP): Saudi Arabian Ambassador Abdullah Abdurrahman Alim said on Wednesday that with the approval of the Indonesian government his embassy would grant visas to Indonesian haj pilgrims using ordinary green passports rather than the special haj passport.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with President B.J. Habibie at Merdeka Palace, Abdullah said his office stopped issuing visas for green passport-holders when the previous minister of religious affairs, Tarmizi Taher, decreed that Indonesians could go on the haj pilgrimage only with the special haj passport.

"If the Indonesian government, in this case the Ministry of Religious Affairs, allows the haj pilgrimage on green passports, then we have no reason to prohibit it," he said.

Abdullah was responding to questions about the possibility of the embassy granting visas to people who were able to raise enough money to go on the pilgrimage only after the official registration period ended in January.

The crisis-hit Indonesia is sending around 70,000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia this year, a drastic drop from last year's 200,000. The first batch of pilgrims left for Saudi Arabia late February.

In past years, many Indonesians bypassed the government and went on the pilgrimage on their own using their green passports.

Abdullah conveyed to Habibie congratulations from King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz for "successfully leading the country". (prb/swe)