INDONESIA TO PROVIDE BEST SERVICE FOR ITS HAJJ PILGRIMS

By Andi Abdussalam

By Andi Abdussalam     Jakarta, April 24 (Antara) - The Indonesian government, which will send 221 thousand would-be Hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia this year, promises to provide best services for pilgrims during pilgrimage rituals.          In this case, the government and the House of Representatives (DPR) are also increasing coordination with the management of the Hajj pilgrimage. At least three ministers had a meeting in Medina, Saudi Arabia, to discuss preparations for the hajj services.          The three ministers, who held a coordination meeting with the DPR, are Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Puan Maharani, Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, and Health Minister Nila F Moeloek.          "The House lauds the coordination carried out by the ministers to ensure best services for Hajj pilgrims," Marwan Dasapong, the vice chairman of Commission VIII on Religious Affairs of the DPR, noted in a written statement received in Jakarta on Monday (April 23).

PLAN TO USE HAJJ FUND FOR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 4 (Antara) - The Religious Affairs Ministry has, so far, managed funds deposited or invested in sukuk by would-be Hajj pilgrims, and the profit obtained from them has enabled the government to offer subsidies to pilgrims.          According to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, a Hajj pilgrimage trip currently costs Rp68 million for each pilgrim, but using the profits obtained from managing the Hajj fund, the government provides a 50 percent subsidy, so that a prospective Hajj pilgrim is only required to pay Rp34 million as pilgrimage cost.          The total amount of Hajj fund being managed currently reaches Rp99.34 trillion. The government is planning to invest the fund in the more profitable infrastructure sector.          Coordinating Minister for Economy Darmin Nasution stated that the profit is higher if the Hajj pilgrimage fund is invested in infrastructure projects rather than in other sectors. The interest could be as high as 12-13 percent if the Hajj pilgrimage fund is invested in infrastructure projects, Nasution noted after attending an economic meeting in Jakarta on Tuesday (Aug 1).          "Hajj pilgrimage fund is a long-term fund. If it was invested as a deposit in a bank, the interest is only around five-six percent a year. The profit would be much higher if it were to be invested in infrastructure projects," he added.

GOVERNMENT VOWS TO IMPROVE 2017 HAJJ SERVICES

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, March 30 (Antara) - The Indonesian government has committed to improving its Hajj pilgrimage services in the face of the increase in the country's Hajj quota from last year's 168,800 to 221 thousand in 2017.          In order to improve the Hajj services, the government has slightly increased the Hajj pilgrimage cost by Rp249,008, or about 0.72 percent of last year's Rp34,641,304 to Rp34,890,312 this year.      "After the government and House of Representatives agreed on the rate of the Hajj pilgrimage management cost (BPIH) for this year, we submitted its draft for a presidential decision on Monday (Mar 27) to be signed by the head of state. We hope that the president would soon issue a decision, so that would-be Hajj pilgrims would pay off their Hajj pilgrimage cost soon," Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin was quoted as saying by the Ministry of Religious Affairs on its website on Wednesday (Mar 29).        The minister has promised to improve Hajj services in line with the increase in BPIH.      The improvements in the services include increasing the number of meals to 43 comprising 25 in Mecca and 18 in Medina in addition to breakfast in Mecca.          Bus transportation services will be improved by using new fleet that will carry pilgrims from the Medina airport to their hotels and vice versa, inter-city services, and departure to the Arafah and Mina fields.          The Hajj organizers will also increase and upgrade the quality of tents in the Arafah field, including air-conditioned facilities. The length of stay in Saudi Arabia is 41 days.

INDONESIANS ON WAITING LIST FOR 12 YEARS TO PERFORM HAJJ

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, March 3 (Antara) - Saudi Arabia reaffirmed its agreement on Wednesday to restore Indonesia's Hajj quota from 168,800 to 211 thousand and provided an additional quota of 10 thousand for the 2017 pilgrimage season.          Hence, for this year's season, Indonesia will have a total quota of 221 thousand. However, no further information is yet available on whether the quota of 221 thousand will also be extended to Indonesia for the coming years.      Saudi Arabia has reiterated its promise during the current state visit of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud to Indonesia.          The Saudi government had imposed a reduction of 20 percent in the Hajj quota of all countries in 2013 to facilitate the expansion project of the Masjidil Haram Mosque. After four years and the completion of the mosque's expansion project, the Saudi government has restored the previous quotas of all countries.          The report on the restoration of Indonesia's Hajj quota on Wednesday is merely a reaffirmation of the previous Saudi government's commitment to giving back the normal quota that was cut by 20 percent to 168,800 four years ago.

RI FOR ADEQUATE FACILITIES FOR INCREASED HAJJ QUOTA

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 17 (Antara) - Ever since the renovation work began at the Haram Mosque in Mecca in 2013, Indonesia's hajj quota, like those of other countries, has remained reduced by 20 percent from 211,000 to 168,800.          Once the renovation is completed, the Saudi government is likely to restore Indonesia's quota of 211,000 next year. However, the rising number of hajj pilgrims also poses a risk, particularly in the Arafah, Mina and Muzdalifah terrains, the three important sites of hajj rituals.         Therefore, Indonesia, which sends the largest tranche of hajj pilgrims every year, considers it very important to improve the hajj services and hajj facilities, such as boarding, tents, catering and toilet facilities.      Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said additional hajj quota without improved facilities, particularly in Mina, could pose a danger.         "It is true that the additional quota will shorten the waiting list of would-be hajj pilgrims in Indonesia but it would pose a threat if the service facilities in Mina are not improved," the minister stated in Jidda, moments before flying back to Indonesia on Friday.

INDONESIA CHECKS HAJJ PREPARATIONS IN SAUDI ARABIA

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 7 (Antara) - While sending 168,800 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, Indonesia is inspecting the state of hajj preparations in Arafah, Muzdalifah and Mina where millions of pilgrims will be hosted when the  hajj rituals are at a peak in Mecca.          Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, in his capacity as the Indonesian hajj pilgrims' leader, accompanied by Abdul Djalil, the director general of hajj affairs, and M Jasin, the inspector general of the Religious Affairs Ministry, toured Arafah, Muzdalifah and Mina plains on Tuesday to see the preparations.         The minister checked out the preparations regarding hajj tents, catering services, power supplies, health services and toilet facilities. He spent hours touring around Arafah, Muzdalifah and Mina plains to ensure that Muassasah (the Saudi hajj organizer) meets the requirements agreed to in the contract.         The peak rituals will take place in the Arafah plain on Zulhijjah 9, or September 11, 2016 Saudi time.

LONG WAITING LIST MAY LEAD PILGRIMS TO SEEK SHORT CUT

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 23 (Antara) - The fact that would-be hajj pilgrims currently booking a slot will be able to depart for the Holy Land only after a wait of more than ten years could have caused some pilgrims to seek a short-cut method.         Before 2013, Indonesia had a quota of 211,000 pilgrims who could visit Saudi Arabia to perform the fifth pillar of the Islamic tenets. The quota is based on a formula of one pilgrim for every 1,000 of a country's population.         However, with the renovation of the Haram Mosque in Mecca going on for over three years now, the Indonesian quota of 211,000 was reduced to 168,000. This made the long waiting list of Indonesian hajj pilgrims even longer.         Now, over 2.5 million would-be hajj pilgrims are on the waiting list. So, if the quota of 168,000 continues, Indonesia would need about 15 years to send the last batch of the would-be pilgrims. In addition, the number of devouts who register every year continues to increase.          Therefore, many Indonesian Muslims who want to make a pilgrimage to Mecca might be frustrated to see the long waiting list. The arrest of 177 Indonesian would-be pilgrims on Saturday in Manila for having used fake Philippine passports is just an example.

EFFORTS UNDERWAY TO IMPROVE HAJJ PILGRIMAGE SERVICES

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 15 (Antara) - Some three months before the D-Day of this year's Hajj pilgrimage season in September, the Indonesian government is now streamlining its services for the departure of 168,800 would-be Hajj pilgrims to the Holy Land.          President Joko Widodo has also promised to hold a special meeting to discuss matters related to organizing the Hajj pilgrimage. The president made the statement while receiving a delegation of the Hajj Supervisory Commission (KPHI) in Jakarta on Tuesday.          According to KPHI Chairman Samidin Nashir, the president responded positively to his Commission's recommendations and vowed to hold a special meeting to discuss matters relating to the Hajj pilgrimage program.         "The KPHI has made recommendations on the improvements in Hajj services," Nashir stated.          The government is also holding a training course for officials, who will be assigned to provide Hajj services. The course was inaugurated on Tuesday by Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin.           He called on the course participants to improve their professionalism and maintain composure while providing services to the pilgrims.           "Do your job professionally with responsibility. Make sure you are able to have good control over your emotions while carrying out your tasks," the minister remarked while opening the training course for Hajj officials for the 2016 Hajj pilgrimage season at the Pondok Gede Hajj Dormitory in East Jakarta on Tuesday.

RI MAKING ALL-OUT EFFORTS TO FIND CITIZENS IN HAJJ TRAGEDY

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 29 (Antara) - The Indonesian government, through the Religious Affairs Ministry, in its capacity as the Indonesian Hajj Organizing Committee (PPIH) has increased the number of its team members to find Indonesian victims in the recent Mina stampede.          Indonesia has increased the number of its rescue team members as the death toll of Indonesians has risen to 46, while 90 others were still missing following the Mina stampede tragedy last Thursday, September 24, which according to the latest reports, has claimed the lives of about 1,150 Hajj pilgrims.          "Based on the directives of the religious affairs minister (Lukman Hakim Saifuddin), the members of the rescue team are increased from four to nine persons," PPIH Head for the Mecca Working Area (Daker) Arsyad Hidayat stated in the wee hours in Mecca on Tuesday.          He noted that the addition of new members into the team is expected to speed up the efforts to find the Indonesian victims of the Mina stampede tragedy.

INDONESIA CALLS FOR IMPROVEMENT OF HAJJ MANAGEMENT

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 26 (Antara) - In its capacity as the largest predominantly Muslim country, Indonesia is calling on the Saudi government to continue to improve management of the hajj following the September 24 stampede at Mina that killed over 700 pilgrims.          Indonesia will advise or present a proposal to the Saudi government with suggestions to improve the management of the pilgrimage     "In the current situation, there are still a lot of people mourning, so President Joko Widodo does not want to apportion blame for the accident," the Chief of Presidential Staff, Teten Masduki, said on Friday.          However, after an investigation is conducted, the President will certainly advise or present a proposal to the Saudi government with regards to improving the management of the pilgrimage, he said.          President Joko Widodo has offered condolences for the dead and said he hoped that a similar incident can be avoided in the future.          Masduki pointed out that the Indonesian government certainly has an interest in discussing the matter with the Saudi government, in context of ensuring the security of Indonesian Hajj pilgrims.

PEOPLE WANT TRANSPARENT MANAGEMENT OF HAJJ FUNDS

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, March 11 (Antara) - The 2.5 million people now on waiting lists as they seek to travel as hajj pilgrims hope to see transparent management of the estimated Rp77 trillion hajj fund.          Representatives of the House of Representatives (DPR)'s Commission VIII on religious affairs has also expressed its hope that the hajj funds would be managed transparently to assure the public that the funds are being administered properly.          "The potential of funds from would-be hajj pilgrims is large. It is estimated to have reached Rp77 trillion. The government is expected to increase its hajj facilities and improve its services to would-be hajj pilgrims," House Commission VIII Chairperson Ida Fauziah said in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, on Monday.

GOVT TO MANAGE HAJJ FUNDS WELL FOR IMPROVING SERVICE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Nov 24 (Antara) - The Indonesian government is determined to improve the management of hajj funds amounting to Rp60 trillion  which are gathered from down payments of 1.5 million would-be hajj pilgrims now still on the pilgrimage waiting list.          The Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Finance signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Friday on the utilization of the hajj funds for investment in the state sharia-based bonds (sukuk).          The memorandum signed on Friday was the second MoU agreed by the two ministries after they agreed to cooperate in the management of hajj funds in 2009.  Friday's MoU is expected to reap benefits by placing the funds under a securer, more transparent and accountable management.          According to Finance Minister Chatib Basri, the down payments of would-be hajj pilgrims deposited in the form of hajj funds continued to increase. After all, the number of new would-be pilgrims also continues to increase every year which now has reached about 1.5 million people.          This means that, under the basis of Indonesia's annual hajj quota of 211,000, the government will need more than seven years to finish sending the would-be pilgrims to the Holy Land.

RI URGED TO LOBBY SAUDI ARABIA OVER HAJJ QUOTA

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 19 (Antara) - Amid the Saudi government's policy to cut hajj pilgrims' numbers due to expansion work at Mecca's Grand Mosque, some quarters in Indonesia urged the government to lobby its Saudi counterpart to increase Indonesia's hajj quota.          Former chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) who is also a member of Commission VIII of the House of Representatives (DPR) Hidayat Nurwahid said the government needed to renegotiate Indonesia's hajj quota with the Saudi government.          "We hope that the religious affairs ministry will be able to voice at the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Indonesia's need for increased quota. The quota should no longer be based on the number of population of a country but on its capability and need," Hidayat said in a meeting between House Commission VIII, regional government and provincial religious affairs offices in Central Sulawesi, on Wednesday.          The current hajj quota of Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country with a population of about 240 million, is about 211,000 pilgrims.

INDONESIAN HAJJ PILGRIMS NEED BETTER SERVICE

BY Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Oct 19 (ANTARA) - Indonesian hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia are in need of better services although there has been an improvement this year over those provided last year.          The transportation system still poses a problem with pilgrims complaining about the waiting time for a bus to take them from the airport to Mecca or Medina.          This year, some pilgrims even experienced a mishap on the road when one of their buses caught fire, burning the pilgrims' luggage in the process.          "Actually, the services provided for the Indonesian pilgrims have been better than those last year, but it seems that the pilgrims still face problems with transportation. For example, there has been an accident where a bus carrying Indonesian pilgrims from Medina to Mecca caught fire, burning the pilgrims' luggage," Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali said in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.          He said that he had asked the consortium of the Saudi bus company to compensate the pilgrims for their burnt luggage. He also said that the pilgrims must have insurance cover in the future.          Muhammad Oheo, a member of the Hajj Monitoring Team of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) said that he had received complaints about the transportation system. He said that the pilgrims complained of the long waiting time at the airport.          "The Indonesian pilgrims get off flights after an air journey of eight hours and they must not be made to wait for so long to get a bus to their destination," he said.          Oheo also urged the Saudi authorities to provide professional and quality services to the Indonesian hajj pilgrims, in view of the bus fire incident.          He said that all Indonesian hajj pilgrims deserve professional services because they have already paid for services like transportation, lodging, catering and other administrative services such as immigration service at the airport.          "The cost must be balanced with quality and professional services. The Saudi king needs to intervene to improve the services for pilgrims," he said, while referring to the transportation service which remains the same, year after year.          A monitoring team of lawmakers is now in Saudi Arabia to monitor the services provided to the Indonesian hajj pilgrims.        According to the head of the Indonesian Hajj Management Unit for Mecca area (Daker Mekkah), Arsyad Hidayat, the monitoring team would  monitor the hajj pilgrimage services, including supervising preparations for the transportation system,  health, lodging, catering and other activities such as rituals in the Arafah, Mina and Muzdalifah fields.          Even though the transportation service remains a problem, Indonesian officials serving the pilgrims have worked well, according to Muhammad Oheo. Therefore, he expressed his appreciation towards Indonesian hajj workers for their efforts to serve the pilgrims.          Minister Suryadharma Ali opined that this year's services by the officials were better than those last year.          "So far this year, the hajj services are better than last year," Suryadharma said at King Abdul Aziz airport in Jeddah on Thursday.          He said that the better service could be observed at the immigration counters which had worked faster than last year.         Clearance of documents could be finished within 1 to 2 hours now, faster than the 3-4 hours taken for the same task last year.          The minister said that the arrival schedules were also much better and on time, though several flight arrivals were delayed.          The lodging in Mecca for the Indonesian hajj pilgrims is also relatively good as its distance from the Al Harm Mosque is the same as last year, around 2.5 km away, despite the fact that the authorities have demolished some of the buildings around the mosque.          In Medina, the Indonesian pilgrims are lodged only 650 meters away from the Nabawi Mosque, which is an improvement over the lodging last year.          In the meantime, the DPR's monitoring team which observed the hajj pilgrimage conditions in Sector 9 or the Bahutmah and Misfalah areas in Mecca on Tuesday concluded that the timing of the ritual activities in Mecca for Indonesian pilgrims needed to be rearranged in an effort to reduce the risk of fatigue for ageing pilgrims.          "Based on the information we gathered, fatigue is the main trigger for bad health of the pilgrims," said monitoring team member, Nova Iriansyah Nurin Sutie.          According to Sutie, a hajj group organizer has the target to organize umroh (minor hajj) for their group 10 times. In order to achieve the target, the pilgrims are led to perform rituals continuously that would reduce the physical strength of the pilgrims.          "Health of the pilgrims is critical. When they arrive in Mecca in the wee hours, they are directly asked to perform the tawaf (encircling the Kaabah in the mosque). This is regardless of the fact that pilgrims are still lacking sleep," noted Sutie.          She said that the pilgrims need to rest first to restore their physical condition and to ensure their stamina before performing the umroh ritual.          "If the pilgrims are forced to perform secondary ritual obligations, it is feared they would not be able to perform the main rituals of the hajj pilgrimage during the procession in the Arafah, Muzdalifa and Mina fields," she added.           According to the quota given by the Saudi government, about 211 thousand Indonesians perform hajj pilgrimage this year. Of the total, 194,000 perform hajj pilgrimage using the regular hajj service and 17,000 using the special hajj service.***3*** (T.A014/A/KR-BSR/A/A014) 19-10-2012 1

SPECIAL BODY NEEDED TO MANAGE HAJJ PILGRIMAGE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 6 (ANTARA) - Weaknesses have often been found in the management of the country's hajj pilgrimage, including in  the recently completed one organized by the ministry of religious affairs.          The ministry had always promised to improve its hajj pilgrimage services, yet weaknesses still occur from year to year so that many quarters have voiced criticisms and calls for the establishment of a separate body in charge of managing the country's hajj pilgrimage.          "With a special body, hajj pilgrimage could be managed professionally," Kurdi Mustofa, general chairman of the Indonesian Hajj Solidarity Association (IPHI) told the House of Representatives (DPR)'s Commission VIII on religious affairs here last week.          He stressed the importance of a special body like the body which was now managin elms and endowments. The religious affairs ministry, he said, should return to its real duties, namely providing guidance to the people in cooperation with community  organizations.          He was speaking at a hearing with the House Commission VIII which was seeking inputs for the amendment of Law No. 13 / 2008 on the organization of the hajj pilgrimage.          Kurdi said that Law No. 13 / 2008 did not need improvement only but revision as well with  emphasis  changing  the hajj organizing institution. He said that from year to year money or down payment deposited by would-be hajj pilgrims continued to accumulate which up to now had amounted to Rp35 trillion.          He said that a special body was able to manage professionally and optimally the money deposited by would-be hajj pilgrims in a transparent way like what was done in Malaysia where the Malaysian government only acted as regulator.          Chairman of the hearing with Commission VIII Mahrus Munir said he supported the IPHI proposal. "The House Speaker also agreed and supported the proposal," Mahrus said.          In response to statements made during the hearing with Commission VIII and the IPHI, former president director of state-owned radio RRI, Parni Hadi said that in the current reform and openness era, the people could just file a class-action law suit against the hajj organizers.          They could just lodge a law suit to demand transparency in the management of the hajj pilgrimage, including the establishment of a special hajj management body so that the account of the religious minister was no longer needed to deposit would-be hajj pilgrims' down payments.         He said that with the special body, would-be hajj pilgrims no longer needed to deposit money in the religious affairs minister's account but in the account of the special body which would manage it professionally and transparently.          Therefore, Parni along with House Speaker Marzuki Alie supported the idea of the establishment of a special body to manage the country's hajj pilgrimage.  After all, according to the House Speaker, weaknesses still continued to be found in the organization of the country's hajj pilgrimage.          Marzuki said the organization of hajj pilgrimage should be improved because up to now Indonesian hajj pilgrims still lodged many complaints while the DPR's hajj supervising team also found many facts in the fields.          In a press conference last week, Marzuki explained the DPR hajj monitoring team finding in the fields, raising the discourse on the possible revision of Law No. 13 / 2008. "We will try to learn a lesson from countries which are good in managing their hajj pilgrimage, despite the fact that the number of our pilgrims is the biggest one in the world," Mbig arzuki said.           He said that hajj management was not merely a matter of rituals. In average, the Indonesian hajj pilgrims are already well-informed of the rituals owing to the big number of groups providing rehearsals for hajj rituals.          "Organizing hajj pilgrimage is a matter of management. I look it like a war management as it involves a process of moving pilgrims/troops with its logistics and transportation management,"  the House Speaker said.          He said he was not willing to talk about corruption matters in this regard but he was focusing his attention on hajj pilgrims' complaints which were lodged every year without good response from the organizers.           "I do not demean the willingness of the religious affairs minister to do the best and I could not ignore the fact that the minister has already made improvements but I also found facts that none of all hajj groups have expressed satisfaction over the management of hajj pilgrimage," he said.          Therefore, he said, legislators of the House Commission VIII were now considering to learn a lesson from Malaysia where a special hajj body was set up, if need be, it should be financed with funds from the state budget.  "Commission VIII will follow up the matter," Marzuki said.         In the meantime, however, former Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) chairman Hasyim Muzadi alerted Muslims over the idea to set up a special body, expressing concern that it could invite big investors.           "Managing hajj pilgrimage needs a big capital, a situation which will enable foreign investors to take part. How would it be if the investors are Jews?" Haysim Muzadi,  said here on Tuesday.          He added: "We have to remember that hajj pilgrimage is not merely a travel matter or tourism."     He said that hajj pilgrimage was a ritual practice so that it should be organized by a party which really understood the implementation of hajj practices. Yet, the former NU leader admitted that the ministry of religious affairs, like other government agencies, had weaknesses in organizing the hajj pilgrimage services.           "What is important now is how to provide assistance for religious affairs ministry so that it would be optimal in organizing hajj pilgrimage," Hasyim said. ***6*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/18:20/A014) 06-12-2011 18:33

RI HAS HAJJ QUOTA OF 211,000 FOR 1.4 MILLION IN WAITING LIST

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 28 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has asked Saudi Arabia for additional allocation of 27,000 to its hajj quota of 211,000 pilgrims this year as its would-be hajj pilgrims have reached 1.4 million in the waiting list.          In the face increasing lodging and flight fares, the government is also seeking increase in hajj pilgrimage cost from US$3,342 in 2010 to US$3,846.7.          Indonesia's hajj quota this year is set at 211,000 similar to that in 2010 but the Indonesian government wants an increase in line with the increase of its population which has reached 237 million.          "We are still striving to get an increase of 27,000 from the Saudi government but so far there has not been any decision about it," Religious affairs minister Suryadharma Ali said recently. He said request was made based upon the latest census data on the country's population which now reaches 237 millions.          Indonesia wants the Saudi Government to increase its quota to 238,000 this year, the minister said.          When he visited Medina this month, Vice President Boediono   urged Indonesian diplomats dealing with Hajj pilgrimage affairs in Saudi Arabia to strive for an increase in the Hajj pilgrimage quota.  "We should strive to have the quota raised because many of the country's Muslims haven't yet enjoyed the opportunity to conduct the Hajj pilgrimage, and have to wait for many years," Boediono said.          The vice president believed that many Indonesian would-be Hajj pilgrims had to wait 12 years before they could leave for Mecca and Medina for the hajj pilgrimage.          "It's a very long time to wait. We should be more active to get an increase in our quota," the vice president said.          Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali traveled to Saudi Arabia in March to ask for an increase in the hajj quota. Indonesia is still waiting for the Saudi government's reaction.          The minister said that  if the request is met it will be divided among provinces, based on a population increase. "If it is met we will divide it among the provinces according to the number of population," he said.          In the meantime, Secretary General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs Bahrul Hayat said on Monday that the governments of Indonesia and Saudi Arabia should soon discuss efforts to increase the number of tents in Mina, one of the hajj ritual sites, to anticipate the possibility of Saudi Arabia increasing quota for Indonesia's hajj pilgrims.          "It is very important for both governments to discuss and increase the number of tents for Indonesian hajj pilgrims because tent facilities are related to hajj rituals," said Bahrul Hayat.          He said that Indonesia had requested an increase in its hajj quota which at present was 211,000. This number is not proportionate with the Indonesian population of 237 million.          Based on regulations of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), a country will have a quota of one pilgrim for each 1,000 of its population.          If this ratio is used, Indonesia still has a chance to get an increase in its quota by 26,000 pilgrims.          Until June 7, 2011, some 1,420,915 people had been listed as planning to perform the Hajj pilgrimage this year.          Besides seeking increased hajj quota, the government is also proposing to raise the hajj pilgrimage cost from US$3,342 in 2010 to US$3,846.7 in 2011. This proposal is still discussed with the House of Representatives.          "We are still discussing the 2011 hajj pilgrimage cost with the House Commission VIII on religious affairs. But the government and the DPR will try not to increase it. Yet,  there were other factors that might increase hajj pilgrimage cost, including aircraft fuel (avtur) price," he said.          The minister said that if fuel price went up, flight fare would undoubtedly follow and in turn it would have an impact on hajj pilgrimage cost.          He said  the airline companies that would transport Indonesian hajj pilgrims this year had proposed a US$342 increase in flight fare to US$2,076 from last year's US$1,734.          However, Iskan Qolba Lubis of the  Commission VIII  said he was opposed to the government's plan to raise the hajj pilgrimage cost from US$3,342 in 2010 to US$3,846.7 in 2011.          "The House of Representatives will still study which price components of the pilgrimage cost could be reduced so that the hajj cost would be within the financial reach of the people," he said.          He urged the religious affairs ministry to refer to the ministry of transportation's proposal in reformulating transportation cost for hajj pilgrims so as to lower the amount.          "The House of Representatives is still studying the amounts of various components of the hajj pilgrimage cost that can still be cut so that the total cost will be within the financial reach of most people," Iskan said.          Minister Suryadharma Alie said that the government and the House of Representatives would actually try not to raise the 2011 hajj pilgrimage cost.          "Of course, we will discuss it (the proposed flight fare hike) so the hajj pilgrimage cost will not increase," he said.          Hopefully, the 2011 hajj pilgrimage cost could be decided in the near future, he said.***6*** (T.A014/A/H-NG/a014) 28-06-2011 15:35

GOVT EXPECTED TO DECIDE HAJJ COST NEXT WEEK

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, July 16 (ANTARA) - The government and the House of Representatives (DPR) failed on Friday to agree on the amount of the hajj pilgrimage cost (BPIH) a would-be pilgrim has to pay for his/her hajj tour of the Holy Land this year.          At a consultative meeting on Friday, the government came up with a proposal to cut its previously proposed amount of US$3,577 by 36 dollars while the House Commission VIII on religious affairs asked the government to reduce it by US$119.          "In our calculation, the BPIH still could be reduced by up to 119 US dollars," Muhammad Baghowi, a House Commission VIII member, said after the consultative meeting on Friday.          In the meantime, the government considered that a reduction by US$36 in the hajj pilgrimage cost (BPIH) for 2010 was already enough. "The government cannot go lower than that," Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali said on the sidelines of the consultative meeting with the House of Representatives? Commission VIII.          He said that if the cut was set lower than that it would force the government to pay many components whose costs should actually be paid by the pilgrims. In reality, the cost of a number of hajj components has increased, particularly that for their boarding facilities.          The government is doing its best to improve the quality of the Indonesian hajj boarding facilities, including their distance from the Haram Mosque. In 2009, only about 28 percent of the Indonesian hajj pilgrims stayed in the boarding houses within Ring I, but this year the government did its best to increase the percentage to 68 percent. Ring I has its farthest border 4 km from the Haram Mosque.          Last year, a total of 209.819 Indonesians made the  hajj pilgrimage to the Holy Land.          The minister said that the improvement of the boarding quality had increased pilgrimage cost. The government has set the boarding cost at US$3,000 but actually the real cost for it is US$3,100, the minister added.          However, the minister said on Saturday that the previously proposed BPIH which was set at US43,577 for each pilgrim could just be cut by more than US$100 if the government and the House Commission VIII agreed to it next week.          He said that the cut by that amount could be approved by both the government and the House but it would reduce the hajj optimizing funds and would cause next year's BPIH to be raised.          Muhammad Baghowi said that the government had proposed a cut of US$36 while Commission VIII saw that the proposed US$3,577 still could be cut by US$119.          The government had explained that last year's BPIH for each would-be hajj pilgrim embarking from Jakarta, for example, was set at US$3,444.          So, it proposed a cut of US39 for the Jakarta embarkation BPIH so that this year it would amount to US$3,405. On the other hand, the BPHIs for pilgrims departing from other embarkation points were proposed to be cut by an average of US$36.          "The amount of BPIH the government was proposing was based on the assumption that the cost for boarding houses for each pilgrims was US$3,000," Baghowi said.          In the meantime Baghowi said, Commission VIII's assumption based on the calculation that of the US$3,000 boarding facility cost, US$2,700 would be paid by hajj pilgrims and US$300 with a subsidy using the hajj optimizing funds.         He said that the amount of the subsidy would vary much depend on the location of the boarding houses in Mecca from Ring I to Ring III areas (Ring I's farthest border is 4 km from the Haram Mosque while Ring III's farthest section is seven km from the mosque).          "With the boarding cost subsidy amounting to Rp1 trillion, the use of hajj optimizing funds would still be in surplus," Muhammad Baghowi said.          The hajj optimizing funds are funds collected from the interest of would-be hajj pilgrims' preliminary payments which now has amounted to Rp1,172 billion.          Because the government and Commission VIII failed to agree a certain amount for the BPIH on Friday, Commission VIII Chairman Abdul Kadir Karding adjourned the consultative meeting to Tuesday next week (July 20, 2010).          Commission VIII last month urged the Ministry of Religious Affairs to cut the 2010 hajj pilgrimage cost.        "We hope the ministry will agree to our proposal which we are going to discuss in a hearing," Commission VIII chairman Radityo Gambiro said.          He said so far hajj pilgrims had been paying high fees to travel to Mecca and back but how the money was actually used and for what benefits had remained unclear. All kinds of cost are being borne by pilgrims whereas there are actually components which should be borne by the state.          "We can understand  if the government says it has not enough funds for that but it would also be illogical if all of the hajj cost components are borne by hajj pilgrims. We hope that hajj pilgrimage cost be partly borne by the government," he said.          Gambiro said that there were at least 27 cost components that needed to be improved by the Ministry of Religious Affairs so that the burden of pilgrims could be reduced.           In response to the BPIH problem, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono this week called on the relevant ministers and officials to prepare and smooth the hajj pilgrimage program.          "I learned from the media that there are differences of views between the government and Parliament. Therefore the related ministers should be proactive and work together for the people," the president said.          "The success of the hajj pilgrimage is our priority. If there is a problem, I expect officers in the field to act quickly," the president told a cabinet minister's meeting. (T.A014/A/HAJM/17:10/a014)17-07-2010 17:16:3

CLARICS, MINISTER AT ODD OVER 'SWINE' VACCINE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 25 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) and the health minister are now at odds over a requirement for hajj pilgrims to take an anti-meningitis vaccine which allegedly contains a swine enzyme before traveling to the Holy Land.

        "Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari's statement that MUI has no right to decide whether meningitis vaccine is 'halal' (allowed in Islam) or 'haram' (banned) can mislead and create unrest among Muslims," MUI Chairman Amidhan, said on Sunday.

        According to the MUI chairman, the health minister as a state official should not have made the statement as it would create unrest among Muslims. The minister made the statement at a meeting of the Aisyiyah women wing of the Muhammadiyah Muslim organization in Yoyakarta on Saturday. "I read her statement in the running text of a television broadcast Sunday morning," Amidhan said.

        MUI has the authority to decide whether or not a product is halal or haram based on Law No. 7 / 1996 on Food. One of its articles clearly stipulates that the halal certification of a product would be issued by MUI.

        MUI is equipped with two institutions in this case. One is the Institute for Assessment of Food, Drug and Cosmetics (LPPOM) and the other one is the Commission on Edicts and Legal Affairs.

        "Before MUI decides whether a product is halal or haram, its team will check it in the field and test it in a laboratory, the results of which would be taken to and discussed with the edict commission. We have the experience to handle such a problem for 20 years," Amidhan said.

        At the Aisyiyah meeting, Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari said that Indonesian would-be hajj pilgrims were obliged to receive a meningitis vaccine before they left for Saudi Arabia because the Saudi government had decided to oblige pilgrims to have one.

        "The Saudi government obliges all hajj pilgrims to have meningitis vaccine in order to protect them from cerebral membrane inflammation," the minister said.

        She was responding to a rejection by a hajj pilgrim organizer group to provide meningitis vaccine as the vaccine was suspected to contain swine enzyme.

        The minister said that the requirement set by the Saudi government to have meningitis vaccine for would-be hajj pilgrims was final. Pilgrims should be injected with the vaccine if they wanted to travel to Saudi Arabia.

        "I have told the Saudi health minister about the pros and cons on the use of the meningitis vaccine which was suspected to contain swine enzyme but the Saudi government maintained its policy and required meningitis vaccination for hajj pilgrims," the minister said.

        Therefore, Indonesia's would-be hajj pilgrims should receive meningitis vaccine injection in the first place before they could depart to Saudi Arabia. Without taking the meningitis vaccine, a would-be hajj pilgrim would not be allowed to go to the Holy Land.

        "So far, there is only one kind of meningitis vaccine used by hajj pilgrims. This vaccine is produced by a US pharmacy. So far, no other pharmacy has produced meningitis vaccine," the minister said.

        The minister said that the US company was going to produce another type of meningitis vaccine. They claimed the new product was an innovative version of the previous one. "Therefore, the price of the new vaccine which was claimed to be free from pig enzyme is far higher than that of the previous vaccine," the minister said.

        With regard to the present vaccine, the minister said that the institution that had the right to assess the substance of the vaccine was the ministry of health, not the MUI. So, MUI had neither right nor authority or competence to assess the substance of the meningitis vaccine and decided that it was halal or haram.

        "MUI may decide that swine is halal or haram, but as far as a vaccine is concerned, the institution which has the right and competence to assess its substance is the health ministry," Minister Supari said.

        However, it was reported that MUI had received the very information on the swine enzyme substance in the meningitis vaccine from the health ministry itself, namely its Advisory Council on Health and Religious Legal Affairs (MPKS).

        Amidhan said that MUI had the information from the MPKS which held a meeting with the meningitis vaccine producer. It was learnt from the results of a meeting between MPKS and the vaccine producer Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK), that the vaccine contained swine enzyme. The producer even admitted that the meningitis vaccine contained swine enzyme.

        "That is why we say that the vaccine is haram," the MUI chairman said.

        MUI has sent a letter to the Saudi government with regard to the requirement for pilgrims to have meningitis vaccine. The highest Islamic regulating council took the step because all parties involved in the organization of hajj pilgrimage in the country had agreed that the vaccine contained pig substance.

        "We are waiting for a response from the Saudi government. However, if the Saudi government insists on its decision to require pilgrims to take meningitis vaccine, then we will use it based on the principle of emergency. Of course this would continue to create unrest," Amidhan said. ***4*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/14:00/A/O001)

HOUSE INITIATIVE TO END GOVT DUAL ROLE IN HAJJ BUSINESS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 17 (ANTARA) - Labeled as the worst-managed in Indonesia's history, this year's hajj pilgrimage has become the subject of a motion of at least 121 legislators for a parliamentary inquiry into the government's performance in organizing the annual activity.

        The lawmakers proposed on Tuesday the establishment of a hajj inquiry committee which is expected to issue a recommendation that the government should terminate its dual role of regulator as well as operator of hajj pilgrimages which cost over US$700 million per year.

        "We do not rule out the possibility that we will recommend the separation of the government's role as regulator from that as operator of the hajj pilgrimage," House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Agung Laksono said here on Tuesday.

        The House Speaker made the remarks in response to a proposal submitted by 121 legislators to set up an inquiry committee over the government's organization of the hajj pilgrimage.

        He received the proposal for the inquiry at the DPR building on Tuesday. The proposal was submitted by the initiators, including Abdullah Azwar Anas of the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction and was supported by various political party factions in House such as the factions of Golkar, PKB, the United Development Party (PPP), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the Reforms Star Party (PBR) and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

        Teams fielded by the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) have found weaknesses in the implementation of the hajj pilgrimage programs, describing it as the worst in the history of hajj management in Indonesia.

        "Our teams in Saudi Arabia and at home found that this year's hajj services were the worst one, particularly with regard to accommodations and transportation services," DPD deputy chairman Laode Ida said.

        He said that the location of Indonesian hajj pilgrims' housing accommodation was the farthest this year away from the Haram Mosque, even it is located some 18-19 km away.

        As a result of lack of transportation means that served the Jeddah-Madina-Makkah routes, Indonesian hajj pilgrims were compelled to go on foot. He said that the bad hajj pilgrimage management indicated the failure of the Ministry of Religious Affairs in providing appropriate hajj services.

        In order to overcome the problem, the chief organizer of Indonesian Hajj Pilgrimages (PPIH) in Saudi Arabia, Nur Samad Kamba, said the government should set certain service standards for the hajj pilgrimage program next year to serve as guidance for field officials in carrying out their tasks.

        Service standards are needed to handle the pilgrimage of over 200,000 hajj pilgrims every year.

        "Professional service standards had better be set so pilgrims who pay more will get more service as well. The standards should be set based on an agreement by all parties involved," he said in Jedda on Tuesday.

        He said that the service standards should be made based on professional service paradigm and should be contained in a government decision and working plan.

        Without professional standards, the services rendered by the government during the hajj pilgrimage this year have disappointed hajj pilgrims due to, among other things, delays, expensive airline tickets, inappropriate accommodations and transportation services in Saudi Arabia

        "This indicates that the ministry of religious affairs still applied the trial and error approach, while we should not do so in organizing a religious ritual," Laode said.

        The DPD therefore came up with the idea to propose the separation of the authority as regulator and as operator of the country's hajj pilgrimage services. With regard to this, it supported the proposal by 121 legislators for establishment of an inquiry committee over the organization of 2008 hajj pilgrimage services.

        "The DPD supports the establishment of an inquiry committee on the 2008 hajj pilgrimage services as proposed by several initiators such as Abdullah Azwar Anas of the House Commission VIII on religious affairs," Laode Ida said.

        The legislators have submitted a hajj inquiry committee establishment proposal in their efforts to find facts on the hajj management.

        "The House is trying its best to uncover problems faced in the execution of hajj pilgrim services and to encourage serious efforts to improve it, House Speaker Agung Laksono said.

        One of the improvements is the separation of the government role as regulator from that as operator, while the implementation of the services could be carried out by the private sector and regional governments.

        He said that the House might issue a recommendation to terminate the government's dual function of regulator as well as operator of the annual hajj pilgrimage. This caused efforts to improve hajj pilgrimage services to run very slowly.

        Laksono said the DPR leadership would take follow-up steps on the proposal. The legislators were of the view that the organization of this year's hajj pilgrimage was worse than last year.

        He said the number of legislators proposing the inquiry had exceeded the minimum required by regulations, namely at least 13 legislators from different factions.  (T.A014/A/HAJM/19:45/A014) 17-12-2008 19:48:20