JAKARTA - Commission VIII of the House of Representatives regrets the reprimand from the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag RI) against the Indonesian Hajj and Umrah Organizing Muslim Association (AMPHURI) regarding the violation of the Umrah agreement. Where AMPHURI was desperate to dispatch 84 advance teams. This is not in accordance with the provisions because it was originally approved by 25 people.
"It is true that they must be reprimanded, because they already knew when the Umrah Travel Organizing Association (PPIU) held a meeting with the Ministry of Religion following up on the President's direction on delaying the departure of Umrah," said Member of Commission VIII DPR RI MF Nurhuda to VOI, Wednesday, January 5.
As reported, the Ministry of Religion has issued a warning letter to AMPHURI for violating the agreement to send an advance team of 25 people to carry out Umrah while studying the implementation of Umrah during the pandemic. However, the team that departed on December 30, 2021, increased to 84 people.
AMPHURI is considered not to have coordinated with the Ministry of Religion regarding the changes to the agreement. "AMPHURI should not violate the agreement with the Ministry of Religion, which is to make an advance team of 84 people for a trial for Umrah departures after a 2-year vacuum due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If it violates the applicable provisions, it should be reprimanded," he continued.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chairman of Commission VIII of the DPR, Ace Hasan Syadzily, suggested that AMPHURI accept all the consequences of the Ministry of Religion's decision to issue a warning letter. As a result, there is no coordination so that it violates the rules that have been set.
"When the government or the Ministry of Religion gives a warning to the AMPHURI association, of course, we can understand this step," said Ace to reporters, Wednesday, January 5.
"After all, once again the government's consideration is about the safety and health of citizens because that is the most important thing," he continued.
The Golkar Party politician considered that AMPHURI should have coordinated with the Ministry of Religion from the start if there was a departure plan outside the advance team. As is known, there were 25 advance teams whose departure was approved by the Ministry of Religion, but it turned out that 84 people departed.
"The AMPHURI association should coordinate with the Ministry of Religion to prepare their advance team by complying with what has been agreed between the Ministry of Religion, the Ministry of Health, and AMPHURI itself," he said. Saudi. Because, it is the responsibility of the government if there is a problem with the people who are on Umrah.
Ace asked that this reprimand not happen to other associations. "Associations must understand that if something happens, the government itself will be held accountable," he said.
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Ministry of Religion Disappointed and Prepares Sanctions
The Ministry of Religion confirmed that it had given a strong warning to the Muslim Association of Hajj and Umrah Organizers of the Republic of Indonesia (AMPHURI) which was deemed to have violated the agreement because it dispatched 84 leaders of Umrah Travel Organizers (PPIU) on December 30-31.
The reason is, on December 23 it was approved that 25 advance teams from AMPHURI left for Saudi Arabia. However, it turned out that at the end of 2021, those who were dispatched exceeded the agreement. Even though there was a delay in departure until January 2.
"We, the government and associations have met many times, in December also the meeting agreed on the inaugural Umrah on December 23, 2021. We even prepared the plane for Saudia Airlines, but suddenly on December 16 the president issued a directive to postpone overseas travel first. Finally, the minister also directed that it be postponed. We will use this direction from the president and Gus minister as material for a meeting with the association," said Director of Hajj Umrah, Director General of Hajj and Umrah Organizers at the Ministry of Religion, Nur Arifin when contacted by VOI, Wednesday, January 5.
At the meeting, continued Nur Arifin, associations including AMPHURI also agreed that they could accept the president's direction and the direction of the minister of religion. Finally, the departure of the first Umrah from Indonesia was postponed until January.
"The plan is until January 2, but the associations suggested that an advance team or association representative be sent to study the Umrah system in this pandemic era. Finally we conveyed the proposal with Gus Minister, accepted and agreed to 25 people. Finally, we sent 25 people to depart on December 23 according to the concept and conditions of the Pondok Gede Hajj Dormitory in Jakarta," he explained.
"There was no policy or agreement beyond that, suddenly AMPHURI dispatched the congregation from 30-31 (December), finally the atmosphere was noisy, the other associations were busy 'How can AMPHURI take action, don't violate it, no action'," continued Nur Arifin.
The government, said Nur Arifin, in this case, the Ministry of Religion must cool the atmosphere so that it is not noisy. "Finally, we (Kemenag) issued a warning letter to AMPHURI whose direction was let's build a strong Indonesian Umrah team, don't walk alone," he explained.
"We have agreed that we should postpone Umrah until January. In essence, we express our disappointment because we have damaged the team solidity agreement that we made," added Nur Arifin.
So, what are the sanctions against AMPHURI?
Nur Arifin explained that regarding the violation of this agreement, the Ministry of Religion would first send a warning letter and summon the association.
"We have an administrative, civil law approach. Criminal matters are not our domain (that's) in the police. We certainly have steps, for example, we will summon the Umrah organizers involved in AMPHURI who have the authority to impose sanctions up to the heaviest suspension of permits for example," explained Nur Arifin.
"But we're not talking about the hardest. We'll see the existing process first, we want to be here to provide the best solution for the community. We want to provide the best and fair solution so that we can make Indonesia's Umrah better, safer," he said.
Doesn't talk about reprimand, AMPHURI Instead Tells Advance Experience
The Muslim Association for Hajj and Umrah Organizers of the Republic of Indonesia (AMPHURI) has not yet spoken about the reprimand from the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag).
On the occasion of the online discussion, AMPHURI relaxed in expressing his experience when making advances to Saudi Arabia. Initially AMPHURI explained a number of rules for the implementation of Umrah in the Holy Land.
General Treasurer of Amphuri Muhammad Tauhid Hamdi, explained that the procedure is still the same starting from departure. However, he said, there had to be an additional showing a negative PCR test result at the arrival airport.
"After that, the congregation will be divided based on the obligation to quarantine or not if they arrive in Medina. Then they will be given a special bracelet to enter the Grand Mosque and the Kaaba or other places," said Tauhid in an online discussion, Wednesday, January 5.
For those who have bracelets, he continued, they can enter the mosque. Likewise with entering the mall or hotel. "It must show the bracelet that we wear or use the Tawakkalna application," said Tauhid.
However, said Tauhid, the Tawakkalna application is not mandatory like the PeduliLindung application. Because, the reference for the authority is a special bracelet given after the hotel.
Tauhid, then told the experience of the Umrah System Advance Mitigation Team in Saudi Arabia which departed on December 23 last.
He said there was a stark difference from the Saudi Arabian government's treatment of the congregation's COVID-19 vaccine.
Where, specifically for vaccine recipients from China, namely Sinovac and Sinopharm who landed in Medina, they were required to quarantine for three days and two nights.
"Congregants are quarantined for three days because of the Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccinations," he explained.
Meanwhile, vaccine recipients outside of Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson, and Moderna are released from quarantine and can start worshiping immediately.
Then, for pilgrims who land in Jeddah, whatever vaccines used must be quarantined according to international regulations, namely five days and four nights. In addition, added Tauhid, the regulations for the use of masks are also very strict. For those who do not wear masks, they will be fined up to millions of rupiah. "So you have to wear a mask, fortunately I was only reprimanded, not directly fined 1000 riyals (around Rp3.8 million)," said Tauhid.
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