It's official: the government says that Ramadhan will start on Saturday,
although Indonesia's second largest Muslim organisation is sticking to its
guns, saying that the fasting month begins today.
Religious Affairs Minister
Suryadharma Ali, speaking at the government's itsbat, or confirmation, meeting
yesterday night, said that 38 ministry teams dispatched throughout the
archipelago were not able to sight the hilal, or the first appearance of the
crescent moon, which marks the beginning of the month.
"As rukyat [observation]
found no hilal yesterday [Thursday], the Ramadhan month will begin on
Saturday," Ali said after the meeting.
According to astronomical
calculations, the crescent moon should have appeared after sunset yesterday.
However, the government said that the moon was not visible, which it defined as
at least 2 degrees above the horizon.
Muhammadiyah, the nation's
second-largest Muslim organisation, uses calendar calculations to fix the start
of Ramadhan, and previously announced that the fasting month would begin today.
No Muhammadiyah representatives
were present at the government's itsbat meeting, making good on an earlier
promise from chairman Din Syamsuddin.
Meanwhile, President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered his ministers to maintain food supplies during
Ramadhan, when consumption peaks.
Coordinating Economic Minister
Hatta Rajasa was upbeat on the latest reports on food supplies. "The stock
that we have can secure demand for staple foods during the Ramadhan month until
the Idul Fitri holiday."
As an example, Rajasa said that
Bulog, the State Logistics Agency, had a stockpile of 2 million tons of rice.
"It's a really good figure."
Rajasa, however, acknowledged
that commodity prices have been rising. "Despite the price increases, we expect
to have a sufficiency and availability better than last year."
Among the items that have become
more expensive are eggs, prices of which rose by 13.76 per cent compared to
last month; chicken meat, up 8.39 per cent; chillies, up 8.3 per cent; beef, up
3.33 per cent; and sugar, up 5.24 per cent.
"On a year-on-year basis,
the prices are relatively better, with few exceptions, such as beef, chilli,
and sugar," Rajasa said.
The government previously said it
would conduct market interventions to stabilise prices in case of sudden
increases in the cost of staple foods.
According to Rajasa, Yudhoyono
had ordered relevant ministers to prepare transportation ahead of the annual
Idul Fitri exodus, when tens of millions make their way back to hometowns
across the archipelago.
"This includes easing of
vehicle lines at Merak Port," Rajasa said. The port, the principal sea
crossing between Java and Sumatra, saw traffic backed up for a staggering 15
kilometres during the school vacation that ended on Monday.
Meanwhile, Yudhoyono announced
plans to go on walkabout, intending to hold Cabinet meetings at individual
ministries instead of the State Palace during Ramadhan. "I want to
directly see how individual ministries work."
Yudhoyono also said that his
speeches during Ramadhan would be timed around the breaking of the fast.
"For example, I have proposed that my upcoming speech on the state budget
to the House of Representatives be delivered at 8 p.m. so we can be more
focused."
Bagus BT Saragih contributed to
the story.
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