A member of the House of Representatives (DPR) sharply interrupted a\nhearing with a hajj and umrah guidance group official who described\nelderly pilgrims as troublesome and a burden to others. The exchange\noccurred during a hearing (RDP) between Commission VIII of the DPR and\nthe West Java Regional Leadership Council (DPW) of the Hajj and Umrah\nGuidance Group Communication Forum (FK KBIHU) at the parliament complex\nin Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday (6\/7\/2026).<\/p>\n
Syatori, Chairman of the West Java DPW FK KBIHU, had proposed an age\nlimit for elderly individuals wishing to perform the hajj pilgrimage. He\nstated that managing elderly pilgrims was troublesome and inconvenienced\nother people. \u2018So, Mr Chairman, when we talk about the elderly, we\nactually have a saying. Ideally, there should be an age limit and the\nistitha\u2019ah (physical and financial capability) requirement must be\nstrictly enforced. Because elderly pilgrims make the hajj process\ntroublesome and bother other people, sir,\u2019 Syatori said during the\nhearing.<\/p>\n
He explained that most pilgrims wished to perform their worship with\nfull concentration and were unwilling to assist elderly pilgrims\ncontinuously, leaving the responsibility to the KBIHU. Syatori also\nstressed the importance of istitha\u2019ah as a mandatory condition for hajj,\nurging the Ministry of Health to strictly validate the health status of\nprospective pilgrims. He noted that in the first flight group alone,\nmore than 60 people required assistance with wheelchairs.<\/p>\n
Commission VIII member Matindas J Rumambi immediately interrupted,\nexpressing anger and demanding Syatori retract the statement that\nelderly pilgrims were a bother. \u2018Chair, point of order. I want to remind\nthe KBIHU to retract the term that the elderly are troublesome. This is\nlive, you know. Do not use language saying elderly hajj pilgrims are a\nbother. Please retract that sentence. Thank you,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
Syatori responded that his remark was merely a figure of speech and\nclarified that he hoped for special services to assist elderly and\ndisabled pilgrims. He pointed to Article 6, point E, which mandates\nspecial services for the elderly and disabled, and expressed gratitude\nfor any dedicated officers assigned to help with their movement during\nthe pilgrimage, urging the government to regulate this matter\nproperly.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-member-rebukes-west-java-kbihu-official-for-calling-elderly-hajj-pilgrims-a-bother-1783335248", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }