Hope Pangkas Queues For Prospective Congregants, Ministry Of Religion Immediately Discusses Additional 8,000 Quota For Indonesian Hajj Pilgrims

Illustration of prospective pilgrims from Indonesia leaving for the Holy Land. (Between)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) will immediately discuss the use of an additional 8,000 hajj quotas with the DPR.

The Director General of Hajj and Umrah at the Ministry of Religion, Hilman Latief, said it was necessary to accelerate considering that many stages must be carried out in maximizing the additional quota, such as costs, operations, and facilities.

"Saudi offered a quota of 8,000 and we are currently in the preparation stage for the reception, including that it will be discussed with the DPR," he said in Jakarta, Wednesday, May 10, as reported by Antara.

Indonesia previously received an additional 8,000 hajj quotas that were already included in the e-Hajj system, the Saudi Arabian vision application.

At last year's event, Indonesia also received an additional quota, but due to a very tight time, the government decided not to take it.

Now, an additional 8,000 quotas will try to maximize the Ministry of Religion. This additional quota will make queues for pilgrims in a number of regions cut. Moreover, a number of provinces in line for their congregation touched 47 years.

"Last year the tightness was not done. This year the Minister (Yaqut Cholil Qoumas) asked to prepare himself and we are optimistic because there are indeed many people who are interested," said Hilman.

According to Hilman, there are a number of things that must be coordinated regarding this additional quota, such as the availability of aircraft, flight slots from the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) Saudi Arabia, including who are prioritized to enter this additional quota.

"The Minister ordered, we prepare as optimally as possible before we make a decision," he said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas asked the ranks to continue to prioritize the principle of fair Hajj related to the distribution of additional quotas, such as paying attention to several areas where the congregation is very large and the queue is long.

In addition to the number of pilgrims and the length of queues, said Yaqut, the distribution of quotas must also be considered by regions that are aggressive in paying off. This step can be considered so that the quota can be absorbed optimally.