Ministry Of Religion Affirms Maximum Age Limit Of 65 Years For Hajj Candidates Is Temporary

Prospective Indonesian pilgrims are preparing to take part in a series of events ahead of their departure to the Holy Land in the 2022 hajj season. (Antara)

BENGKULU - The Office of the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) of Rejang Lebong Regency, Bengkulu Province revealed that the maximum age limit of 65 years for prospective pilgrims is not permanent.

Head of the Rejang Lebong Ministry of Religion Office Nopian Gustari in Rejanglebong said the Saudi Arabian government only implemented a temporary age policy in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"In accordance with the agreement between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Indonesian government, this year is the first year after the COVID-19 pandemic, so the Saudi Arabian government limits the number of quotas to a maximum age of 65 years," he said.

This was conveyed by Nopian after the departure of 106 local Hajj candidates to the Bengkulu Province Hajj Dormitory at the Baitul Makmur Grand Mosque, Rejang Lebong, as reported by Antara, Thursday 9 June.

He said the policy made by the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was in effect while waiting for recovery after two years of being hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"For next year's departure or the following year, if there are no more problems or the COVID-19 pandemic will return to normal, there will be no more age restrictions," he said.

Nopian explained that the hajj quota received by the region this year was 106 people, or only 45 percent of the previous quota of 232 people.

A total of 106 Hajj candidates for Rejang Lebong Regency who departed this year's Hajj season, he continued, were those who failed to leave in 2020 and were in accordance with the waiting list for Hajj, in which several hajj candidates failed to leave because they were more than 65 years old. replaced by the list above.

The Deputy Regent of Rejang Lebong, Hendra Wahyudiansyah, who was also present at the release of the 106 regional hajj candidates, expressed his gratitude because the residents of Rejang Lebong were able to return to performing the hajj even though there were still restrictions on the quota and age of the hajj candidates.

On that occasion, the Deputy Regent Hendra Wahyudiansyah took part in directing 106 pilgrims from Rejang Lebong Regency to the Hajj hostel in Bengkulu Province. This is done as a form of appreciation for those who can fulfill the fifth pillar of Islam.

The Hajj candidates for Rejang Lebong Regency after arriving at the Bengkulu Between Embarkation on Thursday 9 June afternoon, then Friday 10 June evening departed for the Padang Embarkation, West Sumatra and then departed for Saudi Arabia.