TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Director General of Hajj of Ministry of Religious Affairs, Anggito Abimanyu, said that the government will soon negotiate with the Saudi government to cancel the reduction of hajj quotas. Abimanyu and delegations from Ministry of Foreign Affairs will depart on Thursday.
"This is a summit-level meeting, [we] must involve two of our ministries," said Abimanyu on Tuesday, June 18. He is optimistic that the team will successfully lobby the Saudi government and increase the quotas.
Previously, the Saudi government has announced a reduction in hajj quotas this year in anticipation of the Masjid al-Haram renovation. Saudi Minister of Hajj, Bandar Hajjar, announced that domestic hajj quotas will be reduced by 50 percent and foreign quotas 20 percent.
As a result, as many as 42,200 pilgrims from Indonesia could be denied entry. According to Ministry of Religious Affairs, Indonesia is allocated 211,000 pilgrims; consisting of 194,000 regular hajj and 17,000 special hajj.
Head of Indonesian Ulema Council, Amidhan, requested the government to be careful in negotiation. He believed that the Saudi government would not respond to excessive protests. He exemplified the Saudi government gave earliest compensation to Indonesia during the Mina Tunnel tragedy which caused around 600 Indonesian fatalities, as Indonesia did not file exaggerated protests.
SUNDARI
