There Is No Order From President Joko Widodo To Cancel The Hajj In 2020

Minister of Religion Fachrul Razi (Photo: Instagram @kemenag_ri)

JAKARTA - Minister of Religion (Menag) Fachrul Razi said that President Joko Widodo did not give an order to cancel the 2020 Haj pilgrims' departure. He said the decision to cancel this was made by him after seeing the current situation.

"That is not an order from the President, but our consideration. If something goes wrong, of course it is the responsibility of the Minister of Religion because it is the main duty of the Minister of Religion," said Fachrul in a discussion broadcast on the Zoom platform, Tuesday, June 9.

He explained that President Jokowi asked the Ministry of Religion to postpone the deadline for announcing the cancellation of Hajj departures this year.

Initially, the Ministry of Religion planned to announce this decision on May 20. However, President Jokowi asked for the announcement to be postponed until June 1.

"This shows he really wants this hajj not to be canceled. But because we wait until June 1, June 2, there is no (decision from Saudi Arabia), so we announce it," he said.

Before taking the decision to cancel the departure of the Indonesian pilgrims, he had communicated with the Ministry of Law and Human Rights. As a result, Kemenkuham is of the view that the decision to cancel the departure of the pilgrims is in the hands of the Minister of Religion.

Don't believe hoaxes

Fachrul ensured that the pilgrimage funds that had been collected would remain safe despite this departure cancellation policy. He asked people not to easily believe hoaxes related to Hajj funds that would be diverted for other things.

"Everything is safe. Don't worry at all. If there are hoaxes that say what the funds will be used for, don't believe it," he said.

He said, the Ministry of Religion did not manage the hajj funds. Managing the Haj funds, he added, is the Hajj Financial Management Agency (BPKH).

"The Ministry of Religion does not hold the money at all," he said.

Fachrul said, those who wish to withdraw Hajj funds will be served easily. Meanwhile, congregants who do not withdraw these funds will certainly receive a return on the value of the benefits 30 days before the 2021 hajj departure. The Ministry of Religion has also made a scheme for withdrawing the hajj funds. So that the funds will be disbursed within nine days.

"So, this funding problem will not be harmed," he said.

Previously, the Minister of Religion Fachrul Razi stated that he would not send the pilgrims to the Hajj in 2020 or 1441 Hijriah.

One of the considerations for this decision is calculated from the sufficient time during the departure process. When choosing to send prospective pilgrims to the pilgrimage, they have to go through a long quarantine period. Pilgrims must be quarantined for two weeks at home before leaving for Saudi Arabia. Then, return to quarantine upon arrival and after returning to their homeland.

Another consideration for cancellation of hajj departures is the matter of maintaining physical distance during worship. This is a concern because pilgrims must implement health protocols to prevent transmission of COVID-19. Maintaining physical distance must also be done during the journey to Saudi Arabia, during the prayer process, until arriving back home.

Then, the decision not to dispatch the pilgrims this year was taken because the Saudi Arabian government has also never opened access to Hajj from any country. So, the government does not have enough time to make preparations related to services and protection of the congregation.

With that in mind, the Ministry of Religion decided not to send the hajj pilgrims in 2020 and it is stated in the Decree of the Minister of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia number 494 of 2020 concerning the dismissal of pilgrims.

This cancellation applies to all Indonesians, whether using regular or special visas. That way, the pilgrimage trip in 2020 will be temporarily closed due to the mid-week COVID-19 period. This decision was taken to maintain the health of the Indonesian people.