Ministry Of Religion Asks Elderly Hajj Candidates Not To Worry About Waiting Lists, Lower Intentions To Take Registration Money

The bogie car is devoted to services for the elderly pilgrims (elderly) at the Aceh Embarkation Hajj Dormitory, Banda Aceh, Monday, June 3, 2024. (ANTARA-Khalis Surry)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) of Aceh Province requested that the elderly (elderly) people be included in the waiting list for the departure of the hajj not to worry about the duration of time to fly to the Holy Land. According to him, there will be a government policy regarding the elderly hajj service. Head of the Aceh Regional Office of the Ministry of Religion, Azhari, said that the waiting list or waiting list of Acehnese pilgrims has reached 33 years with the number of residents who have registered 133,181 people. "Wating the 33-year Aceh Hajj list, hopefully no one will shake things up, no one wants to be refunded," said Azhari in Banda Aceh, Wednesday, June 5, which was confiscated by Antara. He asked people who had registered for Hajj and were included in the waiting list not to be discouraged in waiting for the scheduled departure. Even the Head of the Aceh Embarkation Hajj Organizing Officer (PPIH) also invited people who have been classified as capable to continue to register as prospective hajj pilgrims, even though the waiting list took a long time. "For the elderly, don't worry about their age, if this year they are 70 years old, God willing, the next five years will be called because they are in the elderly category," he said.

He asked the public to waste their concerns regarding the 33-year waiting list, so they no longer want to take the registration money back. "Don't imagine that now registering at the age of 80, it will be called at the age of 100 years, no. Hajj is a call, especially now that there are elderly priorities," he said. One example of the Hajj participant from Tanah Rencong who received priority for the elderly Hajj during the 1445 Hijri/2024 Hajj season was Abu Bakar Bin Mureh from Pidie Jaya Regency who joined the Group 6 only waiting 5.5 years after registering in December 2018. "I registered for the 2018 Hajj in December, surprised and relieved when I found out I was able to go to the Holy Land this year, we felt happy," said Abu Bakar.