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House launches inquiry on this year’s haj organization
Among issues to be investigated by the House of Representatives' inquiry team on haj are alleged misallocation of this year's haj quota and reported poor facilities received by pilgrims in Arafah and Mina, Saudi Arabia, during the peak of the pilgrimage.
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A haj pilgrim (right) lifts his head to the sky to pray while another does 'sujud syukur' (kneeling with one's face to the ground) after their plane lands safely at the Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar, South Sulawesi on June 23, 2024. (Antara/Arnas Padda)
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he House of Representatives has established a committee to launch an inquiry in the government’s management and organization for this year’s haj, amid reports of poor services received by pilgrims and alleged misuse of the pilgrimage quota.
The exercise of the House’s legislative rights to open the inquiry as well as the formation of the team were agreed on by all nine political party factions during a plenary session on Tuesday.
Thirty lawmakers from all House parties were named as members of the inquiry team, whose work term spans until the end of their tenure in September, said deputy speaker Muhaimin Iskandar.
“The team will also work during the upcoming recess period,” the National Awakening Party (PKB) politician said on Tuesday, as quoted by kompas.com. Lawmakers are slated to enter the recess period on Friday until Aug. 15.
Muhaimin added that the team would “have enough time to come up with evaluations that can help make our haj management better” before the end of the sitting lawmakers’ term.
This year’s haj was “the culmination of lawmakers’ disappointment” over the government’s disorganization and mismanagement of the pilgrimage in the past three years, said team member Achmad Baidowi of the United Development Party (PPP).
“Not only have we heard reports about poor accommodation for pilgrims, we also found an alleged violation of the law through an improper allocation of the haj quota,” Achmad said, calling the findings “embarrassing”.
