The minister made the request after a meeting with Saudi Minister of Health, Fahd Abdulrahman Al-Jalajel, and Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Indonesia, Faisal bin Abdullah Al-Amudi, here on Monday.
"That would make it easier for us to serve our people because we can understand their local language, their regional language," he explained.
The minister added that additional Hajj officers would also help the Saudi Arabian government in providing services to Hajj pilgrims, especially those from Indonesia.
"So, actually the presence of our officers in the country would also help the Saudi Arabian government and their officers," he added.
Nasaruddin also asked the Saudi government to prioritize health, not age, in determining the requirements for Hajj.
"Because in Indonesia, there are people over 90 years old who are still very strong. But, there are also those under 90 years who are already weak," he said.
"Therefore, I ask the Saudi Arabian Minister of Health to base the selection of (Hajj) officers on physical ability, not age," he added without ruling out age as a requirement.
If the age requirement is changed, the ministry should be given a one-year grace period to conduct outreach to the public, he said.
The minister informed that his request received a good response from the Saudi government.
"Alhamdulillah, our suggestions were taken into serious consideration," he said.
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Translator: Katriana
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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