Government Studies Hajj Scheme Without Queue

JAKARTA - The government is studying a scheme for conducting the hajj without queues, while still ensuring protection for the millions of prospective pilgrims who have been waiting for a long time.

Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak said the discourse is currently still in the discussion stage and has not yet been decided.

"Now the President wants to think about how to make Hajj not queue. So, Hajj who does not queue. Well, that's what we are formulating," said Dahnil as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, April 9.

He explained that the long queue of pilgrims in Indonesia is inseparable from the management of haj finances which makes the number of applicants continue to increase, while the quota is limited.

"The more it (the applicant) the more it will be," said Dahnil.

For comparison, Dahnil said that a number of countries have different patterns in the management of Hajj. In Malaysia, long queues occur through the Hajj fund system, while in some other countries such as India, he said, the queue scheme is not as long as in Indonesia.

The government, he said, is studying the possibility of implementing a more flexible model, similar to the direct ticket purchase/ticket grabbing system according to the quota given by Saudi Arabia.

"So we were given a quota by Saudi Arabia of 200 thousand. Well then we set the price. Then nantinggakperlungantre. So each one immediately ordered who could, that's who left," he said.

However, he emphasized that the government still prioritizes protection for pilgrims who have been on the waiting list.

"We are thinking about that pattern. But of course we also have to make sure that those who have been waiting. Right, there are 5.7 million people who want to go on pilgrimage now. Well, how do we protect them?" said Dahnil.

"Well, we will continue to discuss it. Later, I will explain the details, what the model is like. But this is not a decision, we are constantly discussing it so that the president's desire for Hajj not to queue can be realized," he said.