DPR Hearing Heats Up as West Java FK KBIHU Reprimanded for Calling Elderly Hajj Pilgrims 'Troublesome'

A hearing (RDP) of Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) with Hajj organisers in Jakarta turned heated on Monday after a regional official made controversial remarks about elderly pilgrims. Syatori, the head of the West Java chapter of the Hajj and Umrah Guidance Group Communication Forum (FK KBIHU), was reprimanded by lawmakers for stating that elderly pilgrims are ‘troublesome and a burden to others’.

During the session, Syatori proposed that the government consider imposing an age limit for prospective Hajj pilgrims. He argued that in addition to age restrictions, physical capability assessments (istitha’ah) should be enforced more strictly to ensure only those truly fit to perform the pilgrimage are dispatched. ‘If possible, there should be an age limit and the istitha’ah must be strictly implemented, because elderly pilgrims are troublesome and a burden to others during the Hajj,’ Syatori told the hearing.

He explained that the majority of pilgrims wish to perform their worship with full concentration and are often unwilling or unable to assist fellow pilgrims who require constant care. Syatori claimed that the responsibility of looking after elderly pilgrims frequently falls to the KBIHU (Hajj and Umrah Guidance Group) staff. He noted that in the first flight group alone this year, there were over 60 pilgrims who needed wheelchairs or had to be pushed during the rituals. Lawmakers immediately rebuked the statement, demanding it be retracted as it was deemed highly inappropriate for an open parliamentary hearing.