JEDDAH: An Indonesian lawmaker has urged his country’s government to ask Saudi Arabia to further increase the country’s annual Haj quota.
Achmad Mustaqim called on the Jakarta government to take advantage of its good relations with the Kingdom, and to lobby the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for a larger Haj share as of next year.
Otherwise, he said, Indonesia will have to wait up to 15 years with the current quota.
“Last year, Saudi Arabia responded to an Indonesian request and gave it an additional Haj quota of 10,000, and later on the religious affairs minister also stated that he had secured (an additional) quota of more than 10,000," Mustaqim, who was a member of Haj committee this year, told Indonesian online newspaper Jakarta Globe.
However, the lawmaker acknowledged that the mission is not that easy. “This could be pretty complicated, but it is worth trying.”
According to Jakarta Globe, 177 Indonesian Hajis were intercepted and detained earlier this year by immigration officials at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila for attempting to travel to Saudi Arabia using forged Filipino passports.
Another 300 Indonesians were arrested in Saudi Arabia for trying to perform Haj without permits.
According to the latest statistics, Indonesia, being the world’s most populous Muslim country, has the largest annual Haj quota of 170,000 pilgrims.
Achmad Mustaqim called on the Jakarta government to take advantage of its good relations with the Kingdom, and to lobby the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for a larger Haj share as of next year.
Otherwise, he said, Indonesia will have to wait up to 15 years with the current quota.
“Last year, Saudi Arabia responded to an Indonesian request and gave it an additional Haj quota of 10,000, and later on the religious affairs minister also stated that he had secured (an additional) quota of more than 10,000," Mustaqim, who was a member of Haj committee this year, told Indonesian online newspaper Jakarta Globe.
However, the lawmaker acknowledged that the mission is not that easy. “This could be pretty complicated, but it is worth trying.”
According to Jakarta Globe, 177 Indonesian Hajis were intercepted and detained earlier this year by immigration officials at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila for attempting to travel to Saudi Arabia using forged Filipino passports.
Another 300 Indonesians were arrested in Saudi Arabia for trying to perform Haj without permits.
According to the latest statistics, Indonesia, being the world’s most populous Muslim country, has the largest annual Haj quota of 170,000 pilgrims.
