Muddled haj management

From Warta Kota

My wife is among those whose departure for the haj pilgrimage 2004 has been delayed due to unprofessional or muddled management by the minister of religious affairs. Therefore, we are preparing a claim for compensation, to include a free umroh or minor pilgrimage.

The government guarantee not to charge extra haj pilgrimage fees and to realize the haj quota for 2005 is not enough, because many would-be haj pilgrims have suffered stress, besides sustaining moral and material losses.

In my view, meeting such a claim would constitute a realistic form of government responsibility, in view of the alleged cases of corruption within this ministry. A finding of the Supreme Audit Agency indicates that the abuse of public funds within the religious affairs ministry figures prominently in comparison with? other departments.

Unless this demand is fulfilled, we plan to launch a class action, along with the Indonesian Haj Association, for a trial in court, so that this case will be a national precedent in an attempt to create good corporate governance as part of the effort toward building a new Indonesia.

FIRDAUS Bekasi, West Java