Dasco Flags Off Banten's First Hajj Batch, Hands Over Red and White Flag

TANGERANG – Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, accompanied by the Minister of Hajj and Umrah RI, M Irfan Yusuf, flagged off the departure of the first batch of Hajj pilgrims from Banten at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Wednesday (22/4/2026). In the ceremony, Dasco symbolically handed over the Red and White flag to the group leader, Muhammad Suryadi, as a sign of the beginning of the pilgrimage journey to the Holy Land. Based on observations at the location, 391 prospective Hajj pilgrims who departed from the Cipondoh Hajj Dormitory arrived at the airport around 1:00 PM WIB before being sent off. The Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Irfan Yusuf, in his speech, conveyed that this departure is not merely an administrative process, but a spiritual moment full of meaning. He emphasised that the Hajj journey is a long-awaited soul journey for the pilgrims. “Today we are flagging off the first batch of Indonesian Hajj pilgrims from the Banten embarkation point to the Holy Land to fulfil the call of Allah SWT,” said Gus Irfan, his familiar nickname. He also stressed that this year’s Hajj organisation is the first one fully under the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. The government, he said, is committed to providing the best services and protection for the pilgrims, including amid evolving global dynamics.