Ministry Of Religion: Waiting List For East Luwu Hajj Candidates Up To 30 Years

Prospective Hajj Pilgrims (JCH) of East Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi during the Hajj rituals before leaving for the Holy Land of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Monday (6/6/2022). PHOTO ANTARA/HO-Kemenag East Luwu)

MAKASSAR - Head of the Office of the Ministry of Religion (Kakankemenag) East Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi, Misbahuddin said that the waiting list for prospective Hajj pilgrims (JCH) in his area was up to 30 years.

"The waiting list for prospective hajj pilgrims in East Luwu is estimated at 30 years. Hopefully next year's hajj deliveries can return to normal and even increase the quota so that the waiting list can be reduced," he said in a statement quoted by Antara, Monday, June 6.

He said that East Luwu Regency received a hajj quota of 73 people for the departure period of 1443 Hijriah/2022 AD or less than the initial quota of 155 JCH people.

He stated, the JCH from East Luwu will depart for the Haji Sudiang Makassar Dormitory on June 25, 2022 at 19.00 WITA.

The plan is that JCH will be flown to the Holy Land in Saudi Arabia on June 26, 2022 at 19.00 WITA, together with JCH from Makassar City, Pangkep Regency and North Maluku Province who are members of the Makassar Embarkation Group 12 by boarding Garuda flight GA.1112

"For this year, we get a quota of only 73 hajj pilgrims from the previous 155 hajj pilgrims. This quota reduction is because it's still a pandemic and it's also a decision from the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," he said.

He emphasized that currently, the waiting list for prospective pilgrims in Lutim Regency is 4,443 people, with an estimated waiting time of 30 years.

For this year, the oldest pilgrim in Lutim is 63 years old on behalf of Kurdia Binti Jamaluddin from Rante Angin Village, Towuti District, and the youngest is 28 years old on behalf of Aslina Binti Suardi from Lambarese Village, Berau District.