No limit to number of Indonesian haj pilgrims

No limit to number of Indonesian haj pilgrims

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher has
guaranteed that every Indonesian who can afford to go to Holy
Mecca will be able to join the haj pilgrimage this year.

"Even if the number of pilgrims exceeds the quota set by the
Saudi government, Indonesia will send all haj pilgrims to Mecca
this year," Tarmizi said yesterday.

This year the haj season will fall in May.

So far 180,000 people have registered with the ministry as
wishing to make the pilgrimage. The Saudi government quota for
Indonesia is 195,000.

Tarmizi told reporters after a meeting with Minister of
Information Harmoko that the government would be discussing the
matter with the Saudi authorities.

Harmoko visited Tarmizi to deliver a book that he has just
written. It is entitled Naik Haji, Hanya Untuk Ibadah (Haj
pilgrimage, only for worship services) and deals with his
personal experiences during his pilgrimage Mecca last year.

At that time Harmoko had been appointed chief of the
Indonesian haj contingent by the government.

Tarmizi said that Indonesia needs to abide by the quota
regulation decided at a ministerial meeting in Amman, Jordan, in
1987. The meeting was attended by representatives of Moslem
countries.

He said registration for the haj pilgrimage is open until Jan.
31.

He predicted that the number of Indonesian pilgrims would not
surpass the quota this year.

"The larger number of pilgrims also means an increase in the
number of airplanes," he said.

Tarmizi said the government had increased the number of ports
of embarkation to boost efficiency. The authorities have chosen
the Sepinggan airport in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, as the
fifth port of embarkation for the pilgrimage. The other
embarkation ports are Halim Perdanakusuma in Jakarta, Polonia in
Medan, Juanda in Surabaya and Hasanuddin in Ujungpandang.

He said that, with the additional port of embarkation, haj
pilgrims from Kalimantan would be able to save Rp 400,000
(US$181.5) in transportation expenses.

Tarmizi said that the government had decided to shorten the
quarantine period in the haj boarding houses from two days to
only one day.

He said that the pilgrims would not have to pay any other
costs. Several regency administrations, which had collected
unauthorized costs, have been ordered to return the money to the
pilgrims.

Last year Indonesia sent 158,533 pilgrims to the Holy Land, an
increase of 29 percent over the previous year. However, the
number actually attending later turned out to be higher, as many
Indonesians working abroad had gone directly to the Holy Land
without first reporting to the government about their trips.

According to the minister, the increase in the number of haj
pilgrims stems from improvements in people's incomes, especially
in rural areas.

One haj pilgrimage is compulsory for every Moslem who can
afford to make the trip to Mecca.(imn)