JEDDAH: Indonesia is sending 207,000 pilgrims for this year’s Haj, the same number as last year.
“But this time we are taking precautions not to include children, the sick and the pregnant due to the pandemic swine flu,” Indonesian Consul General Gatot Abdullah Mansyur told Arab News on Monday.
He added that his country was not considering excluding elderly pilgrims, meaning those aged above 70 years, who constitute 20 percent of the total coming for the annual pilgrimage, “as we don’t have any official directive from the Kingdom to that effect.”
Asked about the decision taken by Arab health ministers in Cairo last week to restrict the elderly and children from performing Haj this year, the consul general said: “We have read this in the media but so far we have not learned it officially.”
Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim country and its pilgrims form the biggest contingent in the annual Haj. The quota for Indonesian haj pilgrims is 207,000 and of this total 191,000 will come through the government channel and the remaining 16,000 through private operators, Mansyur said.
“All our government (sponsored) pilgrims are in a single category and their accommodation in Makkah and Madinah has been finalized,” he said, adding that the cost of performing Haj for a pilgrim remains $3,000 — the same as last year.
“We have selected the buildings for our pilgrims in both cities, and we have a system of refunding the pilgrims part of the cost they incur depending on how far they are provided with housing,” he said. The farthest that Indonesian pilgrims will stay is 7 km away from the holy Haram and transportation for them has also been arranged.
“The spirit of performing Haj enlivens the Indonesian and so swine flu and world recession impacts are not considered obstacles,” the consul general said. “In fact, many sick and elderly people insist on going for Haj wishing for their death in the holy cities.”
Last year, 400 of the total Indonesian pilgrims died, both due to natural causes and accidents. The number dropped by 200 compared to the deaths in 2007. More than 150,000 Indonesians perform Umrah every year.
Mansyur said the country today has a waiting list of 800,000 people for Haj of which 207,000 is selected. “It will take three to four years for us to clear the wait listed pilgrims. Those registering today may stand a chance for selection five years later.” Indonesia has developed an orientation course that is given to all pilgrims selected for Haj 14 times over a period of time before they embark on the journey every year, he added.
