Minister Encourages Service for Elderly-friendly Hajj, Backpacker Umrah
- MCH 2023
Jakarta – Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas is encouraging better Hajj services for pilgrims in 2024.
"The upcoming services must be significantly better. Therefore, we must commit to the spirit of Elderly-Friendly Hajj, which is a legacy of President Joko Widodo's leadership," the Minister said in Jakarta on Thursday.
Minister Qoumas emphasized the need for meticulous preparation in serving pilgrims, especially the elderly.
Menteri Agama Yaqut Cholil Qoumas
- kemenag.go.id
"A special program for elderly pilgrims is needed, covering aspects of travel from Indonesia to the holy land and back to Indonesia. This is a priority that must be prioritized, without neglecting services to other pilgrims," the Minister stated.
"Learning from the implementation in 2023, food must be taken into consideration. Additionally, perhaps starting from the dormitories, they should be engaged in exercises, and there should be devices that can detect the location of the elderly because last year many elderly pilgrims got lost on average," Minister Qoumas added.
Furthermore, the Minister also highlighted the importance of managing the Hajj quota.
With Indonesian Hajj quota reaching a record high of 241,000 pilgrims, he requested that the quota be utilized effectively.
"It's not easy to manage, but we must not give up and resign ourselves. We must do our best," the Minister remarked.
Minister Qoumas stated that there should be no negligence in serving pilgrims, especially regarding corrupt practices.
Therefore, he asked the Inspectorate General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs to be directly involved in supervising the implementation of Hajj 2024.
Moreover, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has contracted lawyers to ensure that all contracts related to the Hajj proceed smoothly and without errors.
"This is to ensure that the services run smoothly, and corrupt behavior in Hajj does not occur. We don't want to mafia involvement in the execution of Hajj. The Director-General of Hajj must be more proactive in addressing this," the Minister explained.
In addition to Hajj-related issues, Minister Qoumas also discussed the issue of backpacker Umrah.
He hoped for regulations to be established to ensure the health, safety, and comfort of every citizen performing the Umrah pilgrimage.
"I ask for proper and good regulations to be made. The orientation is to ensure the health, safety, and comfort of every citizen performing Umrah," he concluded.
