Indonesian minister urges umrah pilgrims to avoid Singapore and Malaysia transit flights印尼部长敦促朝觐者避免经新加坡和马来西亚转机。
Indonesia's Deputy Haj and Umrah Minister, Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, urged umrah pilgrims to avoid transiting through Singapore and Malaysia when travelling to Saudi Arabia.Instead, he recommended prioritising direct flights to Jeddah or Madinah as a "safer" option amid the ongoing Middle East conflict, Kompas reported.Dahnil said on Monday (Oct 26) that an estimated 70,000 Indonesian umrah pilgrims take transit flights...
Indonesia's Deputy Haj and Umrah Minister, Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, urged umrah pilgrims to avoid transiting through Singapore and Malaysia when travelling to Saudi Arabia.
Instead, he recommended prioritising direct flights to Jeddah or Madinah as a "safer" option amid the ongoing Middle East conflict, Kompas reported.
Dahnil said on Monday (Oct 26) that an estimated 70,000 Indonesian umrah pilgrims take transit flights through the two countries.
"If those numbers can be directed to national flights, it will also boost our national economy," said Dahnil, encouraging travellers to support Indonesia's two national airlines instead.
"Garuda and Lion need to enhance their services, and prices should be competitive," the minister added.
He also hoped that umrah travel operators in the country will factor in these safety and economic considerations when planning their flight routes.
Singapore's travel advisory for pilgrims
On Oct 13, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a travel advisory for umrah pilgrims to defer their travel plans to Saudi Arabia.
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) reiterated the advisory on Oct 14, urging the local Muslim community to take necessary safety precautions and consider postponing their journey while the security risk remains heightened.
MUIS encouraged umrah travel agents to provide flexible arrangements for postponement or rescheduling, where possible.
It also urged operators to handle cases with care, fairness and understanding, noting that pilgrims may face financial implications through no fault of their own.
"We appreciate the community's patience and understanding, and encourage pilgrims and their families to remain guided by official advisories as the situation evolves," added MUIS.
laili.abdeen@asiaone.com
印度尼西亚朝觐副部长达尼尔·安扎尔·西曼俊塔克 (Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak) 敦促朝觐者在前往沙特阿拉伯时避免经新加坡和马来西亚过境。
据《罗盘报》报道，他建议优先选择直飞吉达或麦地那的航班，认为在当前中东冲突的情况下，这是一个“更安全”的选择。
达尼尔周一（10月26日）表示，估计有7万名印尼朝觐者乘坐过境航班经两国前往马来西亚。
“如果这些客流量能用于国内航班，也能促进我国经济发展，”达尼尔说道，并鼓励旅客支持印尼的两家国家航空公司。
部长补充说：“Garuda 和 Lion 需要提升服务质量，价格也应该具有竞争力。”
他还希望该国的朝觐旅行社在规划航线时能够考虑到这些安全和经济因素。
新加坡对朝圣者的旅行建议
10月13日，新加坡外交部发布旅行建议，建议前往沙特阿拉伯进行副朝的朝圣者推迟前往沙特阿拉伯的旅行计划。
新加坡伊斯兰宗教理事会（MUIS）于10月14日重申了该建议，敦促当地穆斯林社区采取必要的安全预防措施，并在安全风险仍然较高的情况下考虑推迟行程。
MUIS鼓励朝觐旅行社尽可能提供灵活的延期或改期安排。
报告还敦促运营商谨慎、公平、体谅地处理案件，并指出朝圣者可能面临并非自身过错的经济损失。
“我们感谢社区的耐心和理解，并鼓励朝圣者及其家人随着形势的发展继续遵循官方建议，”新加坡伊斯兰宗教理事会补充道。
laili.abdeen@asiaone.com