"We are grateful that we got (this quota) after two years of not being able to make the pilgrimage," he remarked on the sidelines of a working visit to Gunung Kidul, here on Friday.
The Vice President said that the government of Saudi Arabia is authorized to provide Hajj quotas.
Hence, the Indonesian government has accepted the quota provided by the government of Saudi Arabia even though the figure is lower compared to the quota of 200 thousand before the pandemic.
"During normal situations, we are usually given a quota of more than 200 thousand. Now, we are given more than 100 thousand," he noted.
Despite this, the Vice President said he still appreciates the provision of the quota as Indonesia is one of the countries that has received a higher quota compared to other countries.
“So, we accept the quota given and we are among the countries that get more (quota) than other countries," he added.
The Vice President asked the public to be patient since the reduction in the Hajj quota has caused queues for Hajj departures to grow longer.
“Usually, there are those who have to wait 10 years to be able to perform Hajj, some are 20 years or 15 years. Due to the two-year pandemic, the delay in Hajj departure could be longer," he said.
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Translator: Katriana
Editor: Suharto
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