Corruption Commission Reveals Yaqut's Instructions to Gus Alex on Additional Hajj Quota Distribution
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) suspects that Yaqut Cholil Qoumas (YCQ), whilst serving as Religious Affairs Minister, ordered his special staff member, Ishfah Abidal Aziz alias Gus Alex (IAA), concerning the distribution of 20,000 additional hajj quotas for 2024 beginning in November 2023.
KPK Deputy for Prosecution and Execution Asep Guntur Rahayu explained that the suspicion originated from communication between Technical Staff at the Indonesian Hajj Affairs Office in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Gus Alex regarding the activation of the e-Hajj application and Indonesia’s main hajj quota of 221,000 which had entered the system.
“After receiving this information, IAA stated that the 20,000 additional quotas should be divided equally, or 50 per cent each, based on direction or instruction from YCQ,” said Asep during a press conference held on Friday, 13 March 2026.
Asep noted that Gus Alex then actively communicated with various parties regarding plans to separate the 221,000 main hajj quotas from the 20,000 additional hajj quotas. “Why should they be differentiated? Because this is where irregularities began to occur,” he said.
Additionally, Asep stated that Gus Alex had communicated with the Saudi Arabian government to ensure that the decision on additional hajj quota distribution did not appear to violate Law Number 8 of 2019 on the Implementation of Hajj and Umrah Pilgrimage.
“In that communication, IAA mentioned that he had discussed the matter and received instructions from YCQ as the Religious Affairs Minister,” he added.
Previously, on 9 August 2025, the KPK announced the initiation of investigation into suspected corruption involving Indonesia’s hajj quotas for 2023-2024. On 11 August 2025, the KPK announced that preliminary calculations of state losses in the case exceeded Rp1 trillion, and imposed a six-month ban on foreign travel for three individuals.
Those banned from travelling were Yaqut, Ishfah Abidal Aziz (IAA) alias Gus Alex as Yaqut’s staff member, and Fuad Hasan Masyhur as the owner of hajj organising agency Maktour.