DPR's Commission VIII on Hajj 'Ticket War': What About Those Waiting 26 Years?

Deputy Chairman of DPR RI’s Commission VIII, Singgih Januratmako, has responded to the proposal for a ‘ticket war’ mechanism for future hajj implementations put forward by Minister of Hajj and Umrah Mochamad Irfan Yusuf (Gus Irfan). Singgih questioned the fate of prospective pilgrims who have been waiting for departure for 26 years.

“It could be possible (the hajj ‘ticket war’ proposal) but it must be properly studied because what about those who have been queuing for 26 years?” said Singgih to reporters on Saturday (11/4/2026).

This Golkar legislator also raised the issue of whether regulations from the Saudi Arabian government align with the proposal if implemented. He stated that the proposal from the Ministry of Hajj must be carefully considered.

“What about the Saudi government? Because they have Nusuk. Everything must be fully purchased on Nusuk first before the visa is issued. So this is like independent hajj,” said Singgih.

Member of Commission VIII of the DPR, Atalia Praratya, also highlighted the proposal from the Ministry of Hajj regarding the implementation of the hajj pilgrimage. She stated that the solution presented by the Ministry of Hajj must not arise from haste.

“We all agree that waiting nearly three decades is too long a time. However, the solution must not arise from haste that instead creates bigger new problems. Returning the hajj system to a ticket war mechanism or ‘fast race’ like before 2017 is a major setback for hajj governance reform in Indonesia,” said Atalia.

Atalia highlighted Gus Irfan’s statement proposing a “whoever pays quickly, departs” system. According to her, this idea contradicts Law No. 14 of 2025 on the Implementation of Hajj and Umrah Worship, which adopts the first-come-first-serve principle based on the registration portion number (NOPORS).

“What about the mothers in the villages who have been saving for 20 years? What about our grandparents who are not tech-savvy? They will be sidelined,” said Atalia.

Atalia stated that the current queuing system allows the initial deposit funds from pilgrims amounting to Rp 25 million to be managed productively by the Hajj Financial Management Agency (BPKH). It is the benefits from this management, she said, that have been used to subsidise hajj costs, thus keeping the Hajj Implementation Cost (BPIH) low.

“If the queuing system is abolished and returns to a full lump-sum deposit system, the hajj funds reaching hundreds of trillions will dry up. Who will subsidise the pilgrims? Will hajj costs rise drastically?” she said.

Previously, the Ministry of Hajj was studying a radical breakthrough to address the hajj queuing issue that has lasted for decades. One of the ideas that emerged was to implement a ‘ticket war’ mechanism or direct registration system without long queues, similar to the hajj departure process in the past.

Indonesia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah Gus Irfan revealed that this idea stems from progressive thinking within the Ministry, including from the Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah. The aim is to find a solution so that prospective pilgrims do not have to wait too long to depart to the Holy Land.

“Is there a need for such a long queue? Shouldn’t we think about returning to the era before BPKH existed? Before BPKH, Insyaallah there was no queue,” said the Minister at the National Working Meeting (Rakernas) for Hajj Implementation Consolidation for 1447 H/2025 M held at the Grand El Hajj Hajj Dormitory (Cipondoh Hajj Dormitory), Tangerang, Banten on Wednesday (8/4/2026).

In this ‘ticket war’ scheme, the government will later announce the hajj costs for the current year and open registration on a specific date. Anyone who is financially and physically ready can register directly and depart in the same year.