Suryadharma Ali: Bad Hajj Catering Services to be Black Listed

MECCA, KOMPAS.com - Catering firms providing bad services for hajj pilgrims during the Arafah, Mina and Muzdalifah (Armina) rituals will be black listed, Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali said.

"We will no longer cooperate with bad catering firms next year if they do not improve their services after they are reported to the hajj organizing committee," the minister said during his inspection in the Arafah field here on Thursday, Saudi Time.

The minister made the statement when he and his party observed preparations in the Arafah field such as tents and food services for hundreds of thousands of Indonesian hajj pilgrims who would perform the hajj rituals there beginning on Friday.

He said that his side would take the firm action in an effort to guarantee better foods for Indonesian hajj pilgrims during the Arafah rituals. The action is also intended to remind catering firms of the importance of providing good services for hajj pilgrims.

Minister Ali said that pilgrims who were not satisfied with the services were requested to lodge protests to their flight-batch leaders who would then file a report to the hajj pilgrimage committee.

"If they have been reported to the committee and have been notified but they do not respond to us (improve their services), we will not cooperate with them next year and will include them in our black lists," the minister said.

He said last year there was a catering firm which did not give a good services to the pilgrims during the rituals in Madina. The firm was irresponsible as food it served had a bad quality so that a number of pilgrims suffered from diarrhea.

"This year, we no longer cooperate with the catering company and we have included it in our black list," the minister said.