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)