Indonesia to ask for higher haj quota

Indonesia to ask for higher haj quota

MATARAM: Indonesia will ask the Saudi Arabian government to
increase its quota of haj pilgrims for next year's pilgrimage,
according to a minister.

Minister of Religious Affairs Said Agil Siradj Al Munawar said
the current haj quota of 205,000 pilgrims was no longer
sufficient to meet the growing demand among Muslims here.

"We will propose to the Saudi government that they allow some
10,000 of 30,000 people currently on the waiting list to take
part in next year's haj pilgrimage," he said in Mataram over the
weekend.

The minister said he would travel to Saudi Arabia on Sept. 16
to speak with Saudi officials about increasing Indonesia's haj
quota.

He said several provinces in Indonesia had asked to send more
pilgrims on the haj, including West Nusa Tenggara, South
Sulawesi, East Java, East Kalimantan, South Sumatra and Lampung.
-- Antara