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