RI to launch massive haj operation today

RI to launch massive haj operation today

JAKARTA (JP): Four wide-bodied jets will depart almost
simultaneously from Jakarta, Medan, Surabaya, and Ujungpandang
this morning, while another will take off from Balikpapan on
Wednesday evening, as Indonesia begins the massive task of
transporting 195,000 citizens to Saudi Arabia for the haj
pilgrimage.

This year's contingent will be the largest sent on the haj to
date, being 23 percent larger than last year's 164,200, which was
also a record.

The national carrier Garuda Indonesia, appointed to take the
pilgrims, has leased 20 wide-bodied jets for the purpose,
including 10 Boeing-747s, six MD-11s, and four DC-10s, and has
also assigned four Boeing-747s from its own fleet.

The haj pilgrims, booked on 502 different flights, will depart
from five ports of embarkation between today and May 2.

Halim Perdanakusuma airport in Jakarta will accommodate the
departure of 110,500 people on 259 flights, the Polonia airport
in Medan 17,500 people on 41 flights, the Juanda airport in
Surabaya 41,500 people on 116 flights, the Hasanuddin airport in
Ujungpandang 18,000 people on 73 flights, and the Sepinggan
airport in Balikpapan 4,500 people on 13 flights.

The official farewell ceremony will be held this morning at
Halim Perdanakusuma airport. Minister of Religious Affairs
Tarmizi Taher, who is the Amirul Haj (chief of the contingent)
this year, will be present at the ceremony, which will coincide
with the departure of the first group.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs, which is coordinating the
entire operation, said that a total of 231,000 people have
registered and paid for the pilgrimage. However, the ministry
said that so far it has only secured accommodation for 195,000
people, including 3,000 officials, airline crew, and escorts.
One-hundred-and-ninety-five thousand is the quota set by the
Saudi Arabian government for Indonesia.

Tarmizi said that the Indonesian government was still
attempting to persuade the Saudi authorities to allow all of the
231,000 people registered make the haj pilgrimage this year.

"I will hold another meeting with the Saudi Arabian Minister
of Religious Charity and Haj Affairs, Dr. Mahmud Muhammad Safar,
to discuss an additional quota," he said, as quoted by Antara
last week.

He had earlier warned intending pilgrims against trying to
circumvent the government operation by making their own private
arrangements, saying they would be denied entry to Saudi Arabia.

He was referring to people who planned to travel on ordinary
green passports instead of the brown passports issued especially
for the government haj trip.

Regarding the 36,000 people still on the waiting list, Tarmizi
said the government had offered to return their money in full or
to put them on the list for next year's pilgrimage and exempt
them from any fee increases.

Chairman of the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI), Hasan
Basri, has urged the 36,000 people to remain patient and
unemotional.

"Any irregular efforts to obtain haj permits will only have a
negative impact on the holiness of the religious service," he
said over the weekend.

He said there would be advantages in making the pilgrimage
next year.

"The climate will be cooler and some of the buildings,
designed to accommodate the pilgrims in comfort, which are
currently under renovation, will be completed and ready for use
next year," he said, adding that the improved buildings would
protect the pilgrims from the heat.

Last year 638 of the 164,200 Indonesian haj pilgrims died in
Saudi Arabia, mostly as a result of the heat. Seven pilgrims died
during a stampede in the town of Mina.

Hasan said that, by next year, there would also be a special
road from Arafah to Mina for Southeast Asian haj pilgrims.

Merpati Nusantara Airlines has announced that it will increase
its flights to help carry the haj pilgrims to their ports of
embarkation.

"We will increase the flight frequency from the cities of
origin to the five ports of embarkation to 629 times (the normal
frequency) between April 4 to 29," Merpati's marketing manager,
Ibrahim Hamid, said on Friday.(imn)