Hajj Candidates So It Takes Dozens Of Hours To Makassar, Ternate Is Worth Building Embarkation

Prospective Indonesian Hajj Departs For Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Ist)

MALUKU - North Maluku Province (Malut) every year dispatches pilgrims for Hajj (JCH) from this province to the Holy Land through the Makassar Hajj embarkation. For this purpose, in the 2023 Hajj season, the North Maluku Provincial Government must issue an embarkation fee of IDR 6 billion.

The cost of spreading the hajj should be a burden for JCH, but the North Maluku Provincial Government and all district/city governments in this island province agreed to allocate it through the APBD, as a form of concern for JCHs, some of whom are underprivileged.

Departing for the Holy Land through the Makassar Hajj embarkation, for JCH from most urban districts in this province of 1.4 million people is a challenge in itself, especially for the elderly JCH, having congenital diseases, and using wheelchairs.

JCH from Tokyo Island Regency and Sula Islands Regency, for example, before being flown from Ternate to Makassar, they must use sea transportation to Ternate for more than 15 hours, which on the way often faces high waves.

Another for JCH from a number of districts on the mainland of Halmahera Island, such as East Halmahera Regency. JCH from this area had to use land transportation for 7 hours to Sofifi then continued by sea transportation to Ternate and was dispatched to the Makassar Hajj embarkation after staying overnight at the Ternate Hajj Dormitory.

The North Maluku Provincial Government has proposed that Ternate be an embarkation of Hajj to the Central Government, so that JCH from 10 districts/cities in this spice-producing province departs for the Holy Land directly from Ternate, so as not to spend the cost of spreading the hajj.

Thus, the budget for Hajjmbarration costs of Rp. 6 billion issued by each JCH Malut departure through the Makassar Hajj embarkation can be diverted to other programs, for example, the increase in people's income is underprivileged so that they can save to perform the pilgrimage.

In addition, if Ternate becomes a hajj embarkation, it will also stimulate North Maluku's economic activity, especially Ternate every hajj season, for example, the effort to provide food for JCH in the Hajj and JCH transportation dormitories to airports.

The Governor of North Maluku, Abdul Gani Kasuba, has continued to convince the Central Government, including President Joko Widodo during a visit in North Maluku some time ago, regarding the need for Ternate to become a hajj embarkation, which will not only be used by JCH Malut, but also from a number of neighboring provinces.

Neighboring provinces such as North Sulawesi, Maluku, and five provinces in the Papua region will prefer to send JCH from their area to the Holy Land through the Ternate Hajj embarcation because it is closer and the cost of planes to and from Ternate is also cheaper than to Makassar.

Based on Antara's report, in Indonesia there are 14 Hajjmbarkation areas, most of which are in Java and Sumatra, while in the Sulawesi, Maluku, and Papua regions only exist in Makassar, which so far have been used by JCH from the three regions to go to the Holy Land.

Airport Condition

Making Ternate an embarkation of Hajj, actually from the start has received the green light from the Ministry of Religion. However, to realize it, it collided with the condition of Sultan Babullah Ternate Airport which was deemed not eligible to become a hajj embarkation airport.

Sultan Babullah Ternate Airport, which is located on the north of the foot of Mount Gamalama, is considered not possible to accommodate wide-body aircraft with a capacity of more than 300 passengers or one flying group (kloter), which has been used for transporting JCH to the Holy Land.

Therefore, the Head of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religion of North Maluku, Amar Manaf, advised the North Maluku Provincial Government to fix Sultan Babullah Ternate airport, so that it is in accordance with the requirements as a Hajj embarkation airport so that Ternate can be used as a hajj embarkation.

Regarding the Hajj dormitory, there are no problems because the capacity of the Hajj dormitory in Ternate is recorded at 500 beds that are in accordance with the requirements to become an embarkation hajj dormitory. Even if needed in addition, the Ministry of Religion is also ready to build it.

Likewise, hospital facilities in Ternate for sick JCH treatment are also available quite a lot, one of which is Chasan Boessoerie Hospital with type B classification, which has adequate medical facilities and medical personnel, including specialist doctors.

The improvement of Sultan Babullah Ternate Airport, according to a report from the North Maluku Transportation Service, has been included in the national strategic program with priority for increasing the length of the runway from 2,300 meters to a minimum of 2,800 meters so that it can accommodate wide-body aircraft, such as JCH transport aircraft to the Holy Land.

The improvement to Sultan Babullah Ternate airport should have been carried out but was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in more priority for the handling of the pandemic and economic recovery.

The improvement of Sultan Babullah Ternate Airport is not only for the benefit of the Hajj embarkation airport, but also as an international airport to support the development of the tourism and industrial sectors in North Maluku.

For Sultan Ternate Hidayahtullah Sjah, making Ternate a Hajj embarkation is a necessity, especially when it is associated with Ternate's role in the past which was one of the centers for the spread of Islam in Eastern Indonesia and even reached the Philippines.

With this role, Ternate should not only be a hajj spread, but also get a lot of hajj quotas. The current Malut hajj quota, which is only 1,076 people, is very small compared to the large interest of the people in this province who want to perform the pilgrimage.

There are currently many waiting lists in all regencies/cities in North Maluku. In fact, in Ternate City there are more than 3,000 waiting lists.

They have to wait up to 21 years to depart if the Hajj quota for Ternate remains only 260 people.