Republika, Jakarta – It was distressing to witness the departure of members of the House of Representatives (DPR) on a haj pilgrimage this year. There were 105 people in total, which is a high number, but one should be curious about the specific roles of each member of the group.

Out of the 105, only 22 were legislators, the rest of them were categorized as "an excursion group" comprising attendants, secretariat staffers and experts. In fact, the aim of the visit to the Holy Land by lawmakers during this haj season is to monitor services for Indonesian pilgrims.

This raises the question; While the 22 legislators are tasked with monitoring, what are the duties of the remaining 83 members of the group? Do they share the responsibility of the lawmakers or are they just on a tour paid by the state?

House Commission VIII chairperson Ida Fauziyah said the legislators had left for Saudi Arabia to carry out the state duty of monitoring the arrangements of the haj pilgrimage.

Whatever the reason, the case remains a disgrace due to the exploitation of a slim opportunity. Millions of Indonesians wishing to go on a haj pilgrimage are unable to realize their dream because of the limited quota.

Nobody knows the motive of each of the legislators and the rest of the entourage. But the misuse of state facilities under the auspices of a religious pilgrimage is indeed a disgrace. It is self-deception and at the same time deceiving the Indonesian people.