The 2022 Hajj Trip Ends, The Last Pilgrims Of Group 8 Arrive In Makassar

Makassar Hajj Pilgrims (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Hajj pilgrims from Maros Regency, Takalar, Palopo City, Makassar in South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi Provinces arrived as scheduled at Makassar City Debarkation at around 19.25 WITA, Friday, August 5.

"Alhamdulillah, all pilgrims returned to their homeland safely and according to a predetermined schedule," said the Coordinator of PPIH Debarkation Makassar, H Muhammad Tonang at the reception of the Pilgrims for Group 8 at the Haji Sudiang Dormitory, Makassar.

He hopes that the pilgrims after returning to their respective areas can become role models for the community which is a characteristic of a mabrur hajj.

Meanwhile, Deputy Regent of Takalar, H Ahmad Se're, on the sidelines of the handover of the pilgrims, said that his party was very grateful because the number of pilgrims from Takalar had the same number of departures as those who returned.

"With the opening of this year's Hajj pilgrimage, we are grateful that our residents can perform Hajj, even though it is only half of the total normal quota," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Saturday, August 6.

Therefore, Ahmad, who is familiarly called Aji Dede, hopes that next year the Saudi Arabian Government, which will be carried out by the organizers of the Hajj, will provide 100 percent quota for Hajj.

Moreover, it is acknowledged that the public interest for Hajj from Takalar Regency is quite high, so the average waiting list can reach more than 25 years.

This was confirmed by one of the pilgrims from Galesong, Takalar Regency, Daeng So'na.

He said that going to the holy land was really something he had been waiting for, especially since he had been hindered from going to the holy land for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"So we are very grateful to have the opportunity to make Hajj, although initially it was delayed by two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

Makassar Debarkation, which oversees 8 provinces in Eastern Indonesia, in the 2022 hajj season has dispatched about 7,300 prospective pilgrims with each group of 393 pilgrims on average.

The number is adjusted to the number of seats for the Hajj transport aircraft, namely Garuda Indonesia Boeing 777-300 type with a capacity of 393 seats.