Discussion on Hajj 'Warticket' System by Ministry of Religious Affairs, PBNU Chairman: Not Yet Clear, Not Worth Debating
Jakarta — The General Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU), KH Yahya Cholil Staquf (Gus Yahya), responded cautiously to the discourse on implementing a ‘warticket’ system for Hajj departures. He assessed that the idea is not yet clear, thus not yet worthy of broad debate.
“Please study it, we are not yet clear. Let’s see first what the system is like. We don’t know yet,” said Gus Yahya at the PBNU office in Jakarta on Friday (10/4/2026).
He emphasised that to date, there has been no official explanation from the Indonesian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah regarding the concept or mechanism of the proposed system. Therefore, according to Gus Yahya, the public should not rush to conclusions.
“There is no official statement yet. What the system is like, how it is offered, that is not yet clear,” said Gus Yahya.
Gus Yahya also revealed that PBNU has not been involved in the initial discussions regarding the discourse. According to him, a public policy idea should go through a thorough study process involving various parties. “Not yet. There is none. If someone comes up with an idea on their own, that’s fine, but we’ll see if they invite (us to study) or not,” he said.
Regarding the discourse on eliminating Hajj waiting times, which is often linked to the ‘warticket’ system, Gus Yahya assessed that it requires serious calculations to still ensure justice for pilgrims. “First, how is the method, what is the system like to make it fair. What about those who are already waiting? That must be considered,” he explained.
He also refrained from speculating on the possibility of implementing the system without adequate studies and data. “Should I speak without a study? Without data? That’s not possible. I have to see first if this is a serious idea or not,” he said.
According to Gus Yahya, if the discourse is already clear and officially discussed, PBNU is ready to form a team to conduct studies and provide recommendations. “If this is really serious, then later we will form a team for study, input recommendations, and so on,” said Gus Yahya.