157 People Cancel Hajj This Year Due To Pregnancy And Sickness, Ministry Of Religion: Smallest Number In History

Director General (Dirjen) of the Ministry of Religion (PHU Kemenag), Hilman Latief. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Director General (Dirjen) of Hajj and Umrah Organization of the Ministry of Religion (PHU Kemenag), Hilman Latief, said the number of Indonesian pilgrims who did not depart for the Holy Land during the 2022 Hajj pilgrimage was 157 people or around 0.17 percent.

"We don't send 0.17 percent of the pilgrimage during the 2022 hajj season, or the smallest in the history of the pilgrimage," he said during the handover ceremony for the return of the hajj group 43 or the last Solo Debarkation, at the Donohudan Hajj Dormitory, Boyolali Regency, Central Java, Sunday, August 14th.

He said this year's hajj season was a joy. The number of pilgrims who departed throughout Indonesia was 100,051 people. This is in accordance with the allocation set by the Government of Saudi Arabia.

Of the total Indonesian quota of 100,051 pilgrims, the details are 92,825 for regular pilgrims and 7,226 for special pilgrims.

According to him, it was a joy because he had to dispatch 92,825 people. However, keep in mind that Hajj is a call, and not everyone even though their schedule is "istitha'ah". In fact, the pilgrims who were ready to wait did not go to the Holy Land.

"There are 157 prospective Indonesian hajj pilgrims who in 2022 cannot depart due to various factors. Among them, they are pregnant and sick," he said.

According to him, the number of Indonesian pilgrims who died in the Holy Land during this year's Hajj was 88 people from 13 embarkations. Then there are still 11 pilgrims who are being treated at the Al Noer Hospital in Mecca, including one from Central Java.

"We hope that the sick congregation will recover soon and be followed up to meet with families in the area," he said.

He said that with the arrival of the last batch of pilgrims or 43 Solo Debarkations, the entire procession for the 2022 hajj pilgrimage was completed.

Touching on the issue of Indonesia's hajj quota for the implementation of 2023, he said, God willing, the government will continue to fight for a more proportional number of pilgrims departed, but the maximum is what is expected.

The Minister of Religion has communicated the matter. His party hopes that the quota will be more proportional, because the quota is still at 50 percent like this, the time will be longer. It seems, the direction there is how to shorten the time.

"God willing, through an official announcement, there will be an additional hajj quota for Indonesia and it is being studied," said Hilman Latief.

Meanwhile, PPIH Debarkation Solo has received the arrival of the last batch of 43 pilgrims from Banyumas, Purbalingga, Tegal, Semarang City, and Sleman DIY who arrived at Adi Soemarmo Boyolali Airport, Sunday, at around 05.55 WIB.

According to the Solo Debarkation PPIH Public Relations Coordinator Sarip Sahrul Samsudin, with the arrival of hajj group 43 with a total of 345 pilgrims, a total of 15,431 pilgrims from Central Java and Yogyakarta have been repatriated to the country. However, there is still one person left in Saudi Arabia due to illness. Meanwhile, 18 pilgrims consisting of 17 pilgrims died in the Holy Land and another one on the plane on the way back to the country.

"With the repatriation of the pilgrims of the 43rd Solo Debarkation, the Hajj pilgrimage this year will be completed," he said.