Haj Services Keep Being Improved

KOMPAS/FERGANATA INDRA RIATMOKO

Members of the board of directors of PT Garuda Indonesia wave to pilgrims who take off from Adi Soemarmo International Airport, Boyolali, Central Java, to Saudi Arabia in the early morning on Sunday (7/7/2019). The flight carried 358 pilgrims in the first batch of the pilgrimage from Sukoharjo regency. The Surakarta embarkation in this year\'s haj season is scheduled to send 34,940 pilgrims from Central Java and Yogyakarta.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS —Various efforts have been taken to help pilgrims to worship in the Holy Land with ease. The Indonesian government is improving various facilities in Saudi Arabia, while the Saudi Arabian authorities are providing fast-track immigration services for worshipers.With the fast-track system, immigration checks are not conducted in the destination country, but in the country of origin of the prospective pilgrims. The fast-track system was enjoyed by haj pilgrims who departed from Jakarta on Sunday (7/7/2019). The immigration officers at the airport only check the pilgrims’ passports because biometric scanning, verification of medical requirements and sorting of baggage have been carried out at the haj hostel and airport.

KOMPAS/FERGANATA INDRA RIATMOKO

Two haj pilgrims take a selfie before boarding a Garuda Indonesia airplane that will fly them from Adi Soemarmo International Airport, Boyolali, Central Java, to Saudi Arabia in the early morning on Sunday (7/7/2019). The flight carried 358 pilgrims in the first batch of the pilgrimage from Sukoharjo regency. The Surakarta embarkation in this year\'s haj season is scheduled to send 34,940 pilgrims from Central Java and Yogyakarta.

The immigration check process on the first batch of haj pilgrims departing from Jakarta Embarkation was witnessed yesterday by Vice President Jusuf Kalla at Terminal 2D, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, Banten. Along with the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Indonesia Esam Abid Althagafi, Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin and Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, Kalla witnessed the departure of the first group of delegates from Jakarta.

The vice president appreciated the initiative of the government of Saudi Arabia for implementing the fast-track immigration system for the Indonesian congregation. Because, with this system,0 the congregation no longer needs to queue for immigration checks in Jeddah or Medina for long. "I say this is extraordinary progress. In the past, the congregation had to queue, now it takes only a few minutes for everything to be finished," Kalla said.

ANTARA FOTO/MUHAMMAD IQBAL

WaVice President Jusuf Kalla (right) along with Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Indonesia Yahya Al Hassan Al Qahtani (left) hold a ceremony for the departure of the first batch of the haj pilgrimage from West Java at the embarkation at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, Banten on Sunday (7/7/2019). A total of 631 batches of haj pilgrims from four embarkations, namely Jakarta, Banten, West Java and Lampung, are scheduled to depart from Soekarno-Hatta Airport.

Kalla, through the Saudi Arabian Ambassador, expressed his gratitude for various efforts to improve services carried out by the government of Saudi Arabia. Not only the immigration system, but also infrastructure development which facilitates and provides comfort for pilgrims.

Esam hopes the fast-track immigration system can run smoothly. The Saudi Arabian government, he said, would continue striving to provide good services for worshipers from all over the world, including from Indonesia.

The Religious Affairs Minister said the fast-track immigration this year was enjoyed by 19,650 pilgrims who departed from Jakarta. He hopes that in the following years, this system will also be applied at all haj embarkations.

This year, there were 231,000 Indonesian pilgrims. The government seeks to improve services by adding a number of facilities, such as air conditioning for tents in Arafah, which previously only had fans, an additional eight toilets for each maktab (shelter), and an additional transportation bus shalawat which is under 10 years old.

ANTARA FOTO/RISKY ANDRIANTO

Haj pilgrims from West Java wait onboard a bus before its departure from Jakarta-Bekasi Embarkation Haj Dormitory, in Bekasi, West Java, Sunday (7/7/2019). As many as four batches of haj pilgrims from Bogor, Cianjur, Bandung and Bekasi city departed on Sunday (7/7/2019) to Medina, Saudi Arabia.

On that occasion, the vice president also expressed his hope that the government of Saudi Arabia would increase Indonesia’s haj quota. With the current quota, ranging from 210,000-231,000 per year, people must wait 25-30 years to be able to go on haj. "We hope that with the improvement and addition of the haj supporting infrastructure, later the haj quota can be increased again," Kalla said.

Palembang Embarkation

Yesterday, the first batch from the Palembang Embarkation departed via Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport, Palembang, South Sumatra. It consisted of 443 members of the congregation and five pilgrimage officers, originating from East Ogan Komering Ulu (OKU) regency and Palembang.

From the first batch, one member of the congregation saw her departure delayed due to illness. Sarmiati Katiran Simin, 44, a member of the congregation from Martapura, OKU Timur, was referred to a hospital for treatment. If her health condition improved, she would fly with the next batch. A member of another congregation, Hasan Kohar, 67, died a week before the scheduled departure.

Overall, the Palembang Embarkation will send 8,545 members from South Sumatra and Bangka Belitung provinces.

ANTARA FOTO/MUHAMMAD IQBAL

Haj pilgrims from the first flight batch of the haj pilgrimage from West Java prepare to board the aircraft after going through immigration checks at Soekarno International Hatta Airport, Tangerang, Banten, Sunday (7/7/2019). A total of 631 batches of the haj pilgrimage from four embarkations, namely Jakarta, Banten, West Java and Lampung, will depart from Soekarno Hatta Airport.

Also on the same day, some haj batches departed. They were the first batches from Lombok (West Nusa Tenggara), Surakarta (Central Java), Padang (West Sumatra) and Makassar (South Sulawesi). (NTA/RAM)