From West Papua, 323 Residents Are Ready To Depart To The Holy Land For Hajj

JAKARTA - The West Papua Provincial Government in the 2022 hajj season only dispatched 323 residents to the Holy Land for Hajj. This figure is less than half of the average number of members of the hajj pilgrims who annually depart for Hajj in the period before the COVID-19 pandemic.

"There are indeed restrictions from the Saudi Arabian government. All countries can only send 50 percent of the quota for hajj candidates," said Head of the Hajj and Islamic Community Guidance Division, Regional Office of the Ministry of Religion of West Papua Province, Azis Hegemur in Manokwari, Friday, June 3.

According to him, West Papuan hajj pilgrims who are members of flying group (kloter) 17 together with prospective hajj pilgrims from Gorontalo Province, are scheduled to leave for Saudi Arabia on July 1, 2022 from the Makassar Embarkation in South Sulawesi.

The departure of prospective pilgrims from West Papua to the embarkation area is carried out in stages.

Aziz said that pilgrims from Manokwari City, South Manokwari Regency, Teluk Bintuni Regency, Teluk Wondama Regency, Tambrauw Regency, Sorong City, Sorong Regency, and South Sorong Regency will depart for Makassar City on June 28, 2022.

According to him, prospective pilgrims from the Fakfak and Kaimana regencies will depart for Makassar a few days earlier, on June 25, 2022, because there are no direct flights from the two areas to Makassar.

"They will transit in Sorong, then continue the flight to Makassar," he said.

On June 30, 2022, he explained, all hajj candidates from West Papua will undergo an RT-PCR examination to ensure they don't catch COVID-19 before entering the Sudiang Hajj Dormitory in Makassar.

Acting Governor of West Papua Paul Waterpauw is scheduled to release the departure of prospective pilgrims to the Holy Land on June 29, 2022.

Pilgrims who are prospective hajj pilgrims from West Papua will depart for the Holy Land accompanied by one group leader, three non-cluster officers, two medical officers, and a worship companion.