VP treats staff to umroh pilgrimage

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Outgoing Vice President Hamzah Haz left for a minor haj pilgrimage, or umroh, to Saudi Arabia Tuesday evening, taking with him 78 low-ranking staff from his office and the residences of his two wives.

"It's sort of a present from Bapak (Hamzah) for the people who have been with him during the past three years. All of them are low-ranking officials or employees," one of Hamzah's staff told The Jakarta Post.

For non-Muslim employees, Hamzah gave a bonus amounting to Rp 15 million each.

Hamzah, who ascended to the vice presidential post following the impeachment of former president Abdurrahman Wahid in 2001, will officially step down on Oct. 20 to give way to vice president-elect Jusuf Kalla.

He ran for the presidential post in the first round of the country's first ever direct presidential election last July, but failed to make it to the second round.

Hamzah is to travel with first wife Asmaniah Haz and 78 employees including household staff from Asmaniah's house in Tegalan, East Jakarta, and from second wife Kartini "Titin" Haz's residence in Bogor.

The trip was a surprise and most staff were only informed about the plan last week.

It was projected to cost more than Rp 1 billion (US$111,111), but a source told the Post Hamzah had only paid about Rp 400 million. It was not clear who had paid the remainder.

Ordinarily, umroh trips usually cost about Rp 15 million (US$1,800) per person, while full haj pilgrimages cost about Rp 25 million each.

The umroh was the second such trip for Hamzah, since he became vice president in July 2001, replacing Megawati Soekarnoputri.

For heads of state, the Saudi Arabian government provides free accommodation for 10 people.

The entourage left Jakarta from the Halim Perdanakusumah airport on Tuesday evening and is slated to return on Oct. 11.

"Bapak always says that this is a farewell trip for these people as he will not be active in the political arena after the inauguration of new president," the staff said.

The new president, retired Army general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, would be sworn in on Oct. 20 for a period of five years.