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)