Speculation varies over additional haj pilgrims quota
Speculation varies over additional haj pilgrims quota
JAKARTA (JP): The government has not disclosed how much of an additional quota for haj pilgrims it has secured from Saudi Arabia but officials are already sounding out warnings to applicants to brace themselves for the likelihood of being dropped this year.
Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher returned from Riyadh on Wednesday from a mission to negotiate an additional quota of 40,000 pilgrims from the Saudi government, to accommodate all 230,000 people who plan to join the pilgrimage this year.
Tarmizi has declined to disclose the result of his mission until he reports to President Soeharto, which is scheduled for Monday. "Just wait till then," he told reporters Thursday night.
He added that he did his best to obtain a higher quota during the negotiations with Saudi government officials.
Indonesia had been given a quota of 192,000 for this year's pilgrimage to Mecca. But 230,000 people have applied and most of them have paid the Rp 7 million fee in full, forcing the government to seek a higher quota.
The number had earlier surged to 240,000 but approximately 10,000 people backed out after they were told that they had been put on a waiting list, pending the outcome of the negotiations for a higher quota.
In the absence of Tarmizi's explanation, other government officials have already appealed to would-be pilgrims for their understanding should the government be forced to exclude some of them, if Indonesia did not get the additional quota it is seeking.
Suyono Yahya, secretary of the Coordinating Minister of People's Welfare, said the issue was discussed at a limited cabinet meeting on Thursday.
The meeting discussed ways of selecting applicants who should be given priority to join the pilgrimage, Suyono said. "We have to select the pilgrims if our effort for a higher quota fails."
The meeting agreed on at least nine criteria to be used in selecting the would-be pilgrims, he said.
Priority
Priority will be given to first-time pilgrims, those over 50 years old, those who applied early and those whose professions are farmers or small traders, or those who come from villages.
Priority will also given to married couples, those who have low health risks, those who paid early and those whose fares are being paid out of prizes, such as elected role models of family planning participants.
He said farmers and small traders are given priority because they have been saving for a long time, some almost all their lives, to be able to pay for the trip.
Suyono said the criteria will only be imposed if the worst comes to worst. "Let's just wait for the news from the Minister of Religious Affairs."
Other officials have also warned that any selection imposed by the government is done in the best interests of all the pilgrims.
They warned that the facilities in Saudi Arabia are limited and that it would be pointless to insist on going only to get stranded over there.
The surge in the number of pilgrims caught the government totally by surprise. Indonesia sent 165,000 pilgrims last year and the government had anticipated that this year the size would increase to 192,000 at the most. (emb)