"I am the acting governor, and yes, the governor has given his signature after walimatul safar (Hajj farewell). We have provided our signature to officiate the duty handover to the acting governor," Ulum stated here on Monday.
Governor Ridwan Kamil will depart for Saudi Arabia on Monday to perform his Hajj ritual and serve as the Amir al-Hajj (Hajj leader) for some 17 thousand Indonesian pilgrims from West Java, he said.
The deputy governor said he would be acting governor for at least two weeks.
"Until he (Ridwan Kamil) returns. If I am not wrong, (it will be) for two weeks," he stated.
Ulum then said that the governor told him to use the acting governorship to practice his skills.
"He said '(see this as a) practice, Mr Uu,' and that's it. That was on the forum. If we want to interpret what practice, it is a practice to become a leader (of the province)," he remarked.
Earlier, Kamil confirmed that he would serve as the Amir al-Hajj -- as required by the Saudi authority -- for Indonesian pilgrims from West Java.
"As the governor, I will also utilise this opportunity to visit pilgrims, as I am West Java's Amir al-Hajj," he stated.
The governor said that his Hajj will be performed at the Saudi government's invitation instead of using the provincial budget allocated for his Hajj this year.
The provincial budget was redirected instead to a Hajj guide that never went to perform Hajj in Saudi Arabia, he added.
"I initially (planned to serve as) Amir al-Hajj by the provincial fund, but I surrender the fund and redirect it instead for a Hajj guide that never went for Hajj," Kamil stated.
Kamil will depart for Saudi Arabia along with his spouse Atalia Praratya and daughter Camillia Laetitia Azzahra (Zara), also invited by the Saudi authority.
"Earlier, it was me only, but the Saudi authority kindly invited my wife and Zara. Hence, my family travel for the Hajj with the (Saudi) Kingdom's budget," the governor remarked.
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Translator: Ajat Sudrajat, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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