REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The government and House of Representatives (DPR) are cooperating to prepare best Hajj pilgrimage services by improving the quality of the country's Hajj pilgrimage programs. This is the first time in history that a complete coordination meeting was held.

"The House lauds the coordination carried out by the coordinating minister for human development and culture (PMK) to ensure best services for Hajj pilgrims," Marwan Dasapong, the vice chairman of Commission VIII on Religious Affairs of the DPR, noted in a written statement here on Monday.

The legislator made the statement during a coordination meeting with Coordinating Minister for PMK Puan Maharani, and religious minister in Madinah.

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Dasapong said DPR highlighted several aspects that should be monitored and carried out in future, such as health services, lodging around Markaziah, GPS utilization to prevent pilgrims from getting lost, air conditioning facilities in tents during wukuf in Arafah, and arrangement of pilgrims in Mina to not exceed capacity.

Minister of Religious Affairs Lukman Hakim Syaifuddin explained that limited electricity supply restricted the use of air conditioning during wukuf, so water splash fans will be arranged for pilgrims. The religious affairs ministry lauded the DPR's Commission VIII for approving the cost of Hajj pilgrimage much earlier, so that the ministry has sufficient time to make preparations for the pilgrimage.

Health Minister Nila Moeloek said her side is ready to synergize with the Ministry of Religious Affairs, especially for improving health services and increasing awareness of the hot weather conditions that can lead to heat stroke among pilgrims. The monitoring and evaluation meeting for Hajj was the second coordination meeting held by the Indonesian government in Saudi Arabia.

Last year's pilgrimage has a positive outcome marked by an increase in the Hajj service satisfaction index.

Minister Maharani lauded various inputs offered by Commission VII of the House of Representatives and stated that the government and House of Representatives must ensure that the Hajj implementation will be better this year.

Maharani praised all parties that are working together to prepare for the implementation of the 2018 Hajj pilgrimage programs. She invited all parties to remain committed to providing the best services to the community, especially Indonesian pilgrims.

"Let us work together to provide the best services to pilgrims, thereby demonstrating that the government is looking forward to serving and improving the performance of the pilgrims' satisfaction index over the last three years," Maharani added.

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