Flood of Criticism Over Hajj Ticket Auction Proposal

Various criticisms have been voiced by legislators from the House of Representatives Commission VIII regarding the proposal for an auction of Hajj tickets put forward by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to address the issue of waiting times for Hajj that can take decades.

Commission VIII member Selly Andriany Gantina stated that, in line with the spirit of Law No. 14 of 2025 on Hajj and Umrah Management, the determination of Hajj journeys must be based on the principle of justice.

“This means the state is obliged to continue prioritising pilgrims in the existing queue long before the BPKH was formed,” said Selly in a written statement on Saturday, 11 April 2026.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chairman of Commission VIII Singgih Januratmiko assessed that the Hajj ticket auction proposal could potentially lengthen the queue list because the quota remains the same, but the number of ticket seekers increases.

Nevertheless, he said, this proposal has never been discussed with Commission VIII of the House of Representatives as a working partner of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. He reminded the government to consider various proposals before implementing policies.

“We must be careful, it must be studied thoroughly,” said Singgih when contacted on Friday, 10 April 2026.

Previously, Minister of Hajj and Umrah Mochammad Irfan Yusuf conveyed a proposal to eliminate the Hajj departure waiting period and shift it to a direct registration mechanism or ticket auction.

According to him, Indonesia has experience implementing this policy before the BPKH was established. At that time, the system in place was for prospective pilgrims to register directly, and the government would announce the costs and available quotas.

Then, the government would open registration for a certain period. Anyone with good physical and financial capability could directly apply for Hajj departure registration.

“Should we consider something like that again? As a proposal, it is certainly acceptable for us to think about,” said Irfan at the National Coordination Meeting on Hajj Management for 1447 Hijriah, as seen on the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s YouTube channel, on Wednesday, 8 April 2026.

Criticism of the Hajj ticket auction was also expressed by Chairman of Commission VIII Marwan Dasopang. He said the Hajj ticket auction proposal is not in line with Law No. 14 of 2025 on Hajj and Umrah Management, whose substance states that prospective Hajj pilgrims must register, not hunt for tickets.

“It is impossible for that policy not to be based on its legal provisions,” said Marwan at the DPR, MPR, and DPD complex on Friday.

Historically, the Hajj waiting system began to be implemented in Indonesia in 2008. This system was applied because public interest in Hajj was very high, exceeding the annual quota given by Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, the BPKH was first established in 2017. Before that, registration and Hajj fund management were entirely handled by the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

The Hajj queues in various regions in Indonesia vary, from a dozen to as long as 47 years. However, starting this year, the government has standardised the Hajj waiting period for all regions to 26 years.