Menhaj Emphasizes War Hajj Ticket is Still a Discussion, Pilgrims Do Not Need to Be Afraid

Minister of Hajj and Umrah Moch. Irfan Yusuf/ANTARA/Fath Putra Mulya

JAKARTA - The Minister of Hajj and Umrah (Menhaj) Moch. Irfan Yusuf emphasized that the scheme for the acquisition of the haj ticket is still a mere discourse so that prospective pilgrims who have been queuing for years do not need to be afraid.

"It's still a discussion. So, the congregation doesn't have to be afraid later, 'I've been queuing for ten years, why is it being destroyed?' No, no. There is none," said Menhaj Irfan as reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, April 14.

He explained that the wacanawartiket haji was an effort proposed by his party to cut the queue for Indonesian haj pilgrims, which was considered too long. However, the discourse is still in the discussion stage.

"We need breakthroughs to cut this long queue," he said.

According to Menhaj, the feasibility of the Hajj market requires long discussions with stakeholders, especially from Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Hajj business actors, and the pilgrims themselves.

"There are many things, many stakeholders that we have to talk about; and this is not a decision in a month or two, it definitely takes a long time," he said.

This discourse has been criticized by legislators in the field of religion and social affairs. However, Irfan said that the discussion would still be carried out, considering that Indonesia needs a new breakthrough in addressing the problem of the haj queue.

"Maybe the term is not wartiket or whatever the term is," he said.

He could not confirm that the new scheme would be completed next year. However, the government will try to do it as soon as possible.

Apart from that, Menhaj emphasized that the new scheme would not interfere with the congregation who were already queuing.

"What is clear is that we will not burn the queue. That remains, whether the congregation has been queuing for five years, ten years, 15 years, there is no need to worry," he said.

In addition, Irfan also said that the Indonesian government has communicated with Saudi Arabia regarding the scheme for using the neighboring country's hajj quota, as the solution proposed by members of Commission VIII.

"We have already tried it, but the Saudi government is still not welcome (open) with this pattern. Later we will try to talk again with the Saudi government," he said.