The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has responded to comments\nmade by former Minister of Religious Affairs, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas,\nregarding the allocation of additional Hajj quotas, which he proposed\nshould be divided 50:50 to ensure the safety of pilgrims. The KPK,\ntogether with the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), has inspected conditions\non the ground in Saudi Arabia and concluded that there is no need to\ndivide the additional Hajj quotas 50:50.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe travelled to Saudi Arabia together with a team of auditors from\nthe BPK to assess the availability of facilities for Hajj pilgrims, and\nwe found that the facilities are already adequate and well-maintained\nfor the Hajj pilgrimage. Therefore, we believe that the stated reason is\nnot valid,\u201d said KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo at the KPK building in\nKuningan, South Jakarta, on Tuesday (24 February 2026).<\/p>\n
\u201cWe observed that the facilities are indeed available. This means\nthat the 50:50 split should not have been implemented,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Budi explained that the additional quota provided by Saudi Arabia was\nintended to reduce the waiting list for Hajj pilgrimages. Therefore,\nYaqut\u2019s reason for dividing the additional quota equally is considered\nunfounded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe provision of an additional 20,000 quotas is intended to reduce\nthe length of the waiting list for regular Hajj pilgrimages. However,\nthe decision to split it 50 percent for regular pilgrims and 50 percent\nfor special pilgrims seems inconsistent with the original purpose,\u201d he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Budi mentioned that in this case, there are also suspicions of funds\nbeing diverted to the Ministry of Religious Affairs. He urged that this\ncase be viewed as a whole.<\/p>\n
\u201cTherefore, we should not look at this issue in isolation, but rather\nas a whole. Starting with the philosophy or background of the additional\nquota provided by the Saudi Arabian government, which is to reduce the\nlength of the waiting list for Hajj pilgrimages in Indonesia. Many\nprospective pilgrims have been waiting for decades,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Previously, Gus Yaqut also explained his defence regarding the 2024\nHajj quota corruption case, in which he is a suspect for the KPK. He\nsaid that the case he is facing is a lesson for every leader.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a lesson for every leader in making policy decisions. That\neven policies taken, even if they involve humanitarian considerations,\nmay still be questioned,\u201d said Yaqut after the pre-trial hearing at the\nSouth Jakarta District Court on Tuesday (24 February).<\/p>\n
Yaqut said that leaders should not be afraid to make policy\ndecisions. He said that Indonesia is a nation that is brave.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut that should not make our leaders afraid to make policies that\nbenefit society, the nation and the country. Indonesia cannot be built\nwith leaders who are afraid,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He then explained the reason for dividing the additional Hajj quota\nin 2024 into 50 percent for special Hajj pilgrims and 50 percent for\nregular Hajj pilgrims. Yaqut said that the division of the quota was\npart of ensuring the safety of pilgrims.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only consideration I made when determining the allocation of the\nquota was hifdzun nafs, which is to protect the lives of pilgrims due to\nthe limited space available in Saudi Arabia,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd we must also know that the jurisdiction of Hajj is in Saudi\nArabia. So it is not solely the responsibility of the Indonesian\ngovernment. The jurisdiction is there. We are bound by the regulations\nin Saudi Arabia, including the allocation of quotas, because there is a\nMemorandum of Understanding,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
(ial\/jbr)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kpk-responds-to-yaqut-no-need-to-divide-hajj-quota-50-50-after-saudi-arabia-inspection-1771937152", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }