JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak said the government did not want to take risks amid the escalation of the Middle East conflict. For umrah, the government still urges prospective pilgrims to postpone departure.
For Hajj, four scenarios have been prepared, with one benchmark being the safety of the congregation.
The statement was made by Dahnil at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Tuesday, March 10, after attending the Nuzulul Quran event at the State Palace.
According to him, the government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah continues to accompany the umrah pilgrims who will return to Indonesia, including asking airlines and PPIU or travel agencies to continue to accompany them until they arrive in the country.
Dahnil said that the appeal to postpone the umrah was still valid because the direction of the conflict could not be determined. The country chose to be careful to protect the safety of citizens.
For the implementation of the hajj, Dahnil admitted that he had consulted with President Prabowo Subianto. The President's instructions were clear, all scenarios must be prepared, but the safety of the congregation remains the first and priority.
If the situation improves, the first batch of pilgrims will still be scheduled to depart on April 22. However, if the escalation of the conflict shows signs of danger, the government is preparing other options. Starting from changes in flight routes to possible delays.
"There are four scenarios that we have prepared," said Dahnil.
One of the options discussed was a change in flight routes, including the possibility of passing through the southern or African routes, taking into account aviation authorities and related countries. Another scenario was prepared if the safety of the congregation was really threatened.
Dahnil said that the price was not the main focus of the government at this time. "The President's orientation, the safety of the congregation is the first and foremost," he said.
He said that currently there are around 43 thousand pilgrims who are performing umrah. Meanwhile, the pilgrims who were stranded earlier were generally hampered by transit flights and the high price of tickets.
After the postponement appeal was delivered, the number of umrah pilgrims who departed also began to decrease.
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