Jakarta. Chief Cultural Affairs Minister Muhadjir Effendy addressed the issue of several pilgrims having to sleep outside tents due to overcapacity in Hajj accommodations and inadequate toilet facilities.

He acknowledged the current lack of solutions, attributing it to severely limited space, including for toilets. The scarcity of land was cited as a primary reason why Indonesian Hajj pilgrims in Mina, Saudi Arabia, did not receive tents.

"I propose that the toilets should be built on multiple floors, not just one, to save space, because toilets alone can occupy a lot of space, thus they need to be elevated in Mina," he told reporters at his office in Jakarta on Wednesday.

To tackle these challenges, Muhadjir announced that he will personally visit Saudi Arabia on July 3 to evaluate the Hajj pilgrimage arrangements.

He also mentioned that he had already alerted and instructed the Religious Affairs Ministry regarding the tent issues for Hajj pilgrims.

"When I visited Saudi Arabia, I wanted to inspect but was not allowed, as the construction process was still ongoing. However, I had already alerted the director of Hajj services to pay attention to this matter, although I couldn't inspect it myself," he explained.

Muhadjir identified three critical points where pilgrims encountered difficulties in obtaining tents, namely in Mina, Arafah, and Muzdalifah.

However, he noted that the "mabit" scheme (overnight stay) in Muzdalifah, allowing pilgrims to pass through without disembarking directly to the tents in Mina, has been helpful.

"While Mina remains a problem, the duration of stay there is short. There are also issues in Arafah, albeit brief. Currently, in Muzdalifah, the policy is to pass through without needing to stay, which helps alleviate the situation," he concluded.

Muhaimin Iskandar, Chairman of the Hajj Oversight Team at the House of Representatives (DPR), raised concerns about multiple issues during the 2024 Hajj operations: malfunctioning air conditioners, overcapacity in tents, lack of adequate mattresses, and improper tent placements not aligned with designated areas (maktab).

He also criticized the slogan promoting elderly-friendly Hajj facilities, stating that facilities for elderly pilgrims, including toilets and washing facilities, remain inadequate. He noted that while there are bathrooms for people with disabilities, their number is insufficient relative to the ratio of elderly and disabled pilgrims.

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