Residents of Semarang regency, Central Java, looking to go on the haj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, would be wise to sign up early, as a those already registered face a 21-year waiting list.

"If you [...] register as a would-be haj pilgrim, Insya Allah [God willing], you will be able to go on the haj in the 2039 haj season," the Central Java Religious Affairs Agency's haj and umrah department head, Sholikhin, said as quoted by kompas.com in Semarang on Tuesday.

Sholikhin further explained that the number of Central Java residents on the waiting list, which included applicants from 2011, had reached around 113,000 people.

"So if you register for your haj pilgrimage from any regency in Central Java, you will be on at least a 21-year waiting list," he said.

Sholikhin said the haj quota provided by the Saudi Arabian government for Indonesia was 221,000 pilgrims, comprising 204,000 regular pilgrims and 17,000 special pilgrims.

He said that 30,479 haj pilgrims from Central Java were ready to depart for Mecca in this year's haj in July, tribunnews.com reported.

Semarang Religious Affairs Agency head H. Muhdi said that the government aimed to continuously improve haj services.

Muhdi said there was a one-stop haj registration service at the Semarang Religious Affairs Agency in West Ungaran, Semarang. The system aims to simplify the haj registration process . (stu/ebf)