Returning Travellers in East Kalimantan Express Gratitude for 24-Hour Mosque Services

Several returning travellers in East Kalimantan province have expressed their gratitude for the availability of 24-hour mosque services along the Eid al-Fitr homecoming routes this year. “Alhamdulillah, this year’s mudik feels pleasant because we can stop at mosques along the main roads that are open 24 hours,” said Heri Mirza, a traveller who stopped at one of the mosques in Marangkayu, Kutai Kartanegara, on Wednesday. According to Heri, the programme is excellent as it provides comfort for travellers who sometimes feel confused and hesitant when they just need to use the toilet. He also praised the friendliness of the mosque administrators who assisted his family when they needed to rest briefly during their journey from Bontang to Balikpapan due to a family member suffering from motion sickness. “That’s why this 24-hour friendly mosque service is very helpful; we can lie down for a bit to relieve drowsiness,” said Fadli. The man, who was travelling with a group of five people in a private car, admitted he needed to stretch after three hours of driving. Fadli hopes that the 24-hour mosque service programme will always be available in the coming years, considering that the remaining journey to Paser would take more than seven hours. “The instruction to provide free accommodation for travellers during the mudik and return season has been distributed to all mosque administrators along the inter-city main routes,” stated the Head of the East Kalimantan Ministry of Religious Affairs Regional Office, Abdul Khaliq. He emphasised that essential services that mosque administrators must provide for travellers include free access to bathrooms and toilet facilities. “In addition to providing sanitation facilities, these mosques have also been instructed to open their courtyards widely as safe parking areas for vehicles of returning travellers,” Khaliq said.