Hajj Organisation Praised, Then Evaluated

Minister of Hajj and Umrah Mochamad Irfan Yusuf has stressed that his ministry will not rest on its laurels despite receiving widespread praise for the smooth organisation of this year’s hajj pilgrimage. “We have had enough praise and appreciation. Today we begin the evaluation. Of course, praise is an encouragement and a vitamin for us, but evaluation remains the main necessity to correct yesterday’s shortcomings,” he asserted after opening the National Working Meeting on the ‘Evaluation of the 1447H/2026 Hajj Pilgrimage’ in Jakarta. Several crucial points are the main focus of the evaluation. In the health sector, the minister is targeting a drastic reduction in pilgrim mortality. Although the number was successfully reduced this year, he is targeting a significant decrease next year. “Perhaps next year around 200. Hopefully, we can reduce it further,” he added. Furthermore, the limited space in Mina is also a serious concern given the continuously increasing pilgrim quota. “We previously thought, perhaps the tents could be made into multi-storey tents to increase capacity. But this of course depends on our communication with the Saudi Arabian authorities later,” he revealed. Regarding future hajj costs, the government is being realistic in facing global dynamics. Currency depreciation, fluctuations in aircraft fuel prices, and service policy changes by the Saudi Arabian Government are certain to affect the price components. For this reason, the Ministry of Hajj will immediately calculate together with the Indonesian House of Representatives to formulate a reasonable cost without burdening the pilgrims. Chairman of Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Marwan Dasopang, appreciated the open approach of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in evaluating its performance down to the regional level. According to him, the public’s praise is real due to service improvements, but an in-depth evaluation remains absolutely necessary. Marwan provided a special note regarding the implementation of health istithaah (capability) for pilgrims. He highlighted the limited infrastructure of the Ministry of Hajj at the grassroots level to care for pilgrims after their departure is confirmed. “Is it possible for the Ministry of Hajj to start caring for pilgrims from the day after their departure is set? The problem is, the Ministry of Hajj does not have the infrastructure for that, and its structure does not even reach the grassroots. How can cooperation with other parties be arranged? This needs to be studied today,” Marwan explained. Furthermore, the House of Representatives realises that the success of the hajj also heavily depends on the Saudi Arabian authorities. Commission VIII is committed to supporting the Indonesian government’s efforts to convince Saudi Arabia to also provide the best facilities and conveniences for the nation’s hajj pilgrims.