Legislators blast haj operation
Legislators blast haj operation
JAKARTA (JP): While the government was struggling to smoothen out the operation of flying 195,000 haj pilgrims to Mecca, legislators yesterday visited trouble spots and drew attention to how past mistakes are being repeated.
Reports said that, as of yesterday, of all the flights to Saudi Arabia, a total of 1,765 seats have been left vacant.
In addition, officials at the airports of the five haj embarkation points -- Ujungpandang, Medan, Surabaya, Balikpapan and Jakarta -- have canceled six flights because less than 70 percent of the seats were filled.
Earlier this week officials assured the prospective pilgrims that measures have been taken to ensure a smoother operation to send them to and bring them home from the Holy Land.
Yesterday, members of the Moslem-based United Development Party (PPP) faction of the House of Representatives visited the haj dormitory in Pondok Gede, Jakarta. They spoke with prospective pilgrims who have been made to wait for days for their departure.
Hamzah Haz called on the Ministry of Religious Affairs to make improvements so that it won't repeat mistakes such as delaying or canceling flights because of people lacking proper documents.
Also yesterday, Director of Islamic and Haj Affairs Ahmad Gozali met with Saudi Ambassador Abdullah Abdul Rahman Alim, reportedly to seek solutions to the glitches in the operation which some people have blamed on the lack of visas.
The ambassador, however, said the meeting was actually a courtesy call and that no discussion on visas had taken place.
He told The Jakarta Post yesterday that the embassy has issued an adequate number of visas for the first flights to proceed smoothly.
"We have sent 134,000 visas to the ministry so far. We are trying to finish processing the remaining visas as quickly as possible.
"Insya Allah (God willing), all visas will be finished next week." he said.
Hamzah Haz, who was accompanied by some 15 other House members, called on the government and the Saudi Arabian embassy to sit together and find solutions to the problems.
All of the hiccups in the massive operation were linked to visas, he pointed out. "So the two governments should find solutions together," he said.
The legislator, however, said the embassy was not to blame.
"There's a technicality which causes the problems," he said, but failed to elaborate.
Bill
Hamzah also said that his faction is currently preparing a bill on haj operations in order to guarantee better-organized management in the future.
Expected to be completed later this year, the bill will emphasize the need for the private sector's involvement in the management of haj operations.
"The private sector will be given a greater role in the coming haj operation," Hamzah told the Post.
Private tour agencies currently operate haj trips which cost nearly three times the trips managed by the government; the special trips are known here as ONH Plus.
"The haj operation needs a more professional management which requires more handling by more than just the government," he said.
If approved, the draft bill would revoke the 1969 Presidential decree which stipulates that the government is the only "organization" permitted to manage haj operations.
In the future, the House of Representatives should also be a given greater role in the operation, particularly in determining the haj cost and managing the fund.
"The government will first have to discuss the haj cost with the House," he said.
This year, each pilgrim paid Rp 7,290,000 (approximately US$3094) for the haj trip. The government currently decides the rate.
The bill will also guarantee the pilgrim' rights to have the best services, he added. (01)
Editorial -- Page 4