Southeast Sulawesi Gets Hajj Quota For 917 People

Head of Hajj and Umrah Organizers of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religion of Southeast Sulawesi, Mrs. Marni, SAg, MPd (center) during the 2022 Regional Hajj Officer (PHD) selection activity in Kendari. (Photo by ANTARA/Azis Senong)

KENDARI - Head of the Hajj and Umrah Organizing Division (Head of PHU) of the Southeast Sulawesi Ministry of Religion, Marni, said that in 2022, the province will only receive a quota of 917 hajj candidates (calhaj) or 40 percent of the previous year's average, which was 1,870 to 1,984 people.

Marni said the reduction in prospective pilgrims this year was not only experienced by Southeast Sulawesi (Sultra), but all provinces in Indonesia.

"Alhamdulillah, the people of Southeast Sulawesi, especially Muslims, should be grateful, because the government of Saudi Arabia has provided opportunities for Muslims in Indonesia to perform the Hajj this year, even though the quota is still very limited," said Marni in Kendari, Wednesday, May 12.

He said that in addition to reducing the number of pilgrims leaving for the Holy Land, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, prospective pilgrims who are in the elderly category (65 years) and above do not receive a quota, because this is a rule of the Saudi Arabian government.

Regarding the planned departure of prospective pilgrims from Southeast Sulawesi, Marni said nationally on 3-4 June 2022, but because Southeast Sulawesi is included in the Makassar Embarkation, usually the Southeast Sulawesi departure schedule is included in the second group/wave which is estimated to be mid-June 2022.

"For prospective pilgrims whose names are included in this year's departure list, they are in the process of arranging, both regarding the payment of the hajj as stipulated, health checks to the process of obtaining hajj passports," he said.

Regarding the implementation of Hajj rituals, continued Marni, in May this will also be carried out in each district/city according to the origin of the registration.

"Usually, Hajj rituals are held 8-10 times, this year only six. Twice at the district/city level and four times at the sub-district level," he said.