Aggressive tent allocation in Arafah threatens KBIHU operating licence revocation

WAKIL Minister Hajj and Umrah (WAMH) Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak tore down illegal markers placed by the Hajj and Umrah Guidance Group (KBIHU) on tents in Arafah, on Thursday (21 May). The enforcement action was undertaken during a visit to assess the readiness of the wukuf facilities at Arafah, led by Hajj and Umrah Minister Mochamad Irfan Yusuf and senior officials of Amirulhaj.

Dahnil asserted that the government will not tolerate any violations that undermine fairness for all pilgrims. ‘This is illegal; there are standards. KBIHU who are disobedient, we will remove them, we will revoke their licences. That is the repeated statement from the Minister (Menhaj) too: revoke only,’ he said.

In addition to removing the illegal signs, Dahnil also sternly admonished the party (syarikah) that allowed the markers to be placed on several pilgrims’ tents.

Based on field observations, several tents, both managed by Syarikah Rakeen and Duyuful Bait, appeared to be labeled with flight group numbers (kloter) and KBIHU markings. Dahnil revealed that the unilateral carpeting/cavling action was carried out by individuals at KBIHU. They went so far as to choose and claim tents without knowledge or permission from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

According to Dahnil, the egoistic actions of the KBIHU in cavling these tents seriously harmed pilgrims overall. ‘Last year many pilgrims did not get tents because of this behaviour,’ he lamented.

In Hajj 2026 the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah implemented a by-name tent placement system. Through this tenting system, each tent should have the list of pilgrims and their kloter. This policy was taken in a measured way so that no pilgrim would be left without a tent or a place during the peak of the wukuf.

Furthermore, Dahnil asked the syarikah to tighten oversight and not allow KBIHU to arrange the placement of Indonesian pilgrims’ tents at Arafah or Mina. He stated that the authority to manage the placement of pilgrims in Arafah tents lies entirely with the Hajj Organising Committee (PPIH) of Saudi Arabia.

The government, he said, will not hesitate to impose strict sanctions on KBIHU found to be disorderly and disregarding applicable regulations. The severest sanction contemplated is revocation of their operating licences. ‘Poor pilgrims. Some may not have tents due to self-arrangement. It should be the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah that manages it,’ Dahnil concluded. (H-4)

PPIH had in fact provided wheelchair services coordinated by the Senior Citizens and Disabilities Team (Landis) for pilgrims performing tawaf and sa’i.

Chairman of Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Marwan Dasopang, stated that the DPR’s ad hoc Steering Committee on Hajj does not abolish local Hajj officers, but rather only limits their quota.

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