Ministry Of Religion Denies Team Members: No Commercialization Of Wheelchair Services By Hajj Officers

Official wheelchair services that have received permission from the Government of Saudi Arabia. BETWEEN APHOTO/Sigid Kurniawan

MAKAH - The Ministry of Religion has denied the statement by a member of the 2024 Hajj Supervisory Team, Aguk Irawan, who spread information in online media about Hajj officers who set wheelchair rates at Syib Amir Terminal for Tawaf and Sai.

"The release of Aguk related to the commercialization of wheelchairs is clearly slanderous. It certainly injures the feelings of thousands of Hajj officers who sincerely serve the congregation," said Ministry of Religion spokesman Anna Hasbie in Makkah as reported by ANTARA, Friday, June 14.

Aguk wrote in the online media with the title "There is a Wheelchair Based on Officers and an Elderly-Disabled Friendly Tagline", published June 14, 2024. The day before, Aguk's writing was also published entitled "Aguk Irawan Criticizes Elderly Friendly Services and 'Commercialized' Hajj Disabilities."

The two writings, by Aguk, were written based on what he saw when he and the DPRwas conducted an inspection at the Syib Amir Terminal, Makkah, June 11, 2024.

Aguk said that after the elderly and disabled pilgrims got off the bus (Syib Amir), many officers in black-and-white Hajj uniforms, typical of Indonesian officers, with the Haji Friendly logo for the elderly.

They gathered and got ready to encourage the congregation. However, it turned out that they collected 300 riyals of up to 500, depending on the agreement.

Aguk questioned the existence of a wheelchair service tariff and then addressed commercialization allegations to Indonesian Hajj officials. He accused the congregation of being treated as a consumer who had to pay for each type of service received.

"Unfortunately, slander is spread in the Holy Land, due to failing to understand the problem," he said.

Anna said, as a writer, Aguk should not have based his writing on assumptions. Thus, the substance of the writing becomes wrong and leads to slander.

Supposedly, he said, Aguk tabayun by asking the officers he met, as well as the other organizing committee for the pilgrimage. Moreover, the alleged one is in Tanah Haram.

"Commercialization allegations are inconsequential and tend to be slanderous," said Anna.

The Ministry of Religion ensures that there is no commercialization of wheelchair services carried out by officers. In fact, the officers actually ensure that the congregation uses official wheelchair services that get permission from the Saudi Government, not apply tariffs.

"Indonesian Hajj officers actually provide protection to pilgrims so that they are safe and the rental price is standard," he said.

This protective effort is important, because there are cases where pilgrims who use unofficial driving officers have to pay a much more expensive tariff.

At a time when there was a raid by the security forces, the drivers did not officially run away from the congregation regardless of whether their worship had been completed or not. In fact, they don't care about the safety of the congregation.

"As a form of protection, we facilitate Indonesian pilgrims with a control card. So, official officers of the Grand Mosque that push for wheelchairs can also be known. The payment process is carried out by pilgrims to official officers of the Grand Mosque, after all the series of worship," said Anna.

Meanwhile, for the tariff amount, the Hajj peak is Tawaf package and Sai SAR 250, and after the peak of the Hajj for Tawaf and Sai SAR packages 500 to 600

"The payment mechanism is carried out after the congregation completes their worship," said Anna.

In addition, Aguk also missed the operational affairs of the shalawat bus. Aguk conveyed the results of the field survey on June 11, 2024. In fact, on the 11th, the prayer bus service had been temporarily suspended to help transport the peak of the hajj.

"So when the DPRwas Team went to Syib Amir, there were no prayer buses. The last prayer bus operated on that day only to facilitate the mandatory Umrah of the last batch that had just arrived in Makkah. And that's done," he said.