Day: May 4, 2022

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Batu city: Police prepare measures to anticipate surge in visitors

The Batu Police Department, East Java, has expedited efforts to anticipate a spike in the number of visitors at some tourist attractions during the 2022 Eid holiday.

Data collected from the managers of Batu tourist attractions showed an increase in visitor numbers since Tuesday (May 3, 2022), Batu Police chief, Adjunct Senior Commissioner I Nyoman Yogi Hermawan, noted in here on Wednesday.

“Yesterday, based on data, there was an increase in visitors. The (rate) is now 25 percent of the total capacity of tourist attractions. Previously, it was around 5–10 percent,” he said. He then expressed his administration’s commitment to continuously monitor the number of visitors at tourist attractions in Batu city to prevent overcrowding that could cause traffic congestion.

He said police and stakeholders will also monitor COVID-19 health protocol implementation, particularly the use of the PeduliLindungi application, he added.

If there is traffic congestion in the tourist attraction areas and the number of visitors exceeds the regulations, the police will divert the route and advise tourists to visit other destinations.

The Batu Police Department has prepared five security posts in five priority tourist destinations in Batu city—Jatim Park 3, Batu Love Garden (Baloga), Santerra De Laponte, Museum Angkut, and Selecta Recreation Park.

Around 20 personnel have been deployed at each security post to monitor the traffic flow and ensure health protocol compliance by visitors. “In addition, we have also prepared vaccine booths at these five locations. If the public or visitors to tourist attractions have not (received the) full vaccination doses, we urge them to make use of this service,” Hermawan said.

A number of tourist attractions in Batu city are gradually becoming packed with visitors. It is expected that the number of visitors will continue to swell until Sunday (May 8).

The national holiday for Eid was set on May 2–3, while collective leave days were set on April 29 and May 4, 5, and 6. The government had estimated that around 85 million people would take part in the Eid exodus this year.

Based on data from the Transportation Ministry, the East Java provincial government has estimated that as many as 16.8 million people will leave for East Java, with 47 percent using private cars to reach various destinations, including Greater Malang area.

Source: Antara News

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Saudi Arabia determines hajj quota for Indonesian pilgrims: Ministry

The Ministry of Religious Affairs announced that the amount of regular and special hajj quota for the 1443 Hijriah pilgrimage had been determined by the Saudi Arabian government.

“The provision of hajj quotas in 1443 H is not carried out as in the previous years through the signing of the MoU between the two countries represented by Minister of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia and Minister of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia. However, the quota is given directly by the Saudi Arabia Government through e-Haj,” Director General of Hajj and Umrah Organizers at the Ministry of Religious Affairs Hilman Latief noted in a written statement here, Wednesday.

Latief later remarked that the distribution of regular and special hajj quotas was conducted according to the allocation set by the Saudi Arabian government. Systemically, through e-Haj, the Saudi Arabia Government has divided 92,825 quotas for Indonesian regular pilgrims and 7,226 quotas for special Hajj.

Determination of the Hajj quota by the Saudi Arabian Government was only published in mid-April during the pandemic. In time, information regarding the certainty of the hajj quota is limited, as usually, the discussion of the MoU was conducted since December of the previous year. Latief assessed that the Hajj quota determination by the Government of Saudi Arabia was conducted on the basis of data on the percentage of Indonesian pilgrims in the previous year that was not exactly eight percent.

The quota for pilgrims this year is also less than the quota assumption discussed with the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the House of Representatives (DPR) while discussing the Cost of Organizing the Hajj (BPIH) in mid-April. “However, we are still grateful that this year, there will be Indonesian pilgrims, who can go to the Holy Land to perform Hajj,” Latief remarked.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs is currently focusing on preparing services for Indonesian pilgrims at home and abroad. The ministry continues to conduct communication and coordination with partners abroad while finalizing the preparation of services for Indonesian pilgrims.

“Hopefully, the condition wii return to normal soon, so that next year, the hajj quota will also return to normal, both for regular and special hajj,” he concluded.

Source: Antara News

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