Hajj Oversight Team Highlights Proliferation of Proxy Hajj Services, Proposes Special Agency

I urge the ministry to establish an official agency for proxy hajj services to ensure clarity on who performs the proxy, who receives it, and full oversight of the process.

The House of Representatives’ Hajj Oversight Team has proposed the creation of a dedicated agency under the General Directorate of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to handle proxy hajj services and prevent illegal practices.

Cucun Ahmad Syamsurijal, Chair of the DPR’s Hajj Oversight Team, stated in a Monday statement received in Jakarta that the proposal was a response to the proliferation of proxy hajj services offered by unauthorised parties outside official coordination.

‘I urge the ministry to establish an official agency for proxy hajj services to ensure clarity on who performs the proxy, who receives it, and full oversight of the process,’ he said.

Cucun added that the need for an official agency would become more critical if the government implements stricter health checks for prospective pilgrims.

‘If proxy hajj is not formalised, problems will persist,’ he said.

Besides the proxy hajj issue, the DPR’s Deputy Speaker also highlighted Saudi Arabia’s stricter regulations on dam payments.

He explained that, from 2025, dam payments will be made officially through Saudi Arabia’s state-owned company, Adahi.

In response, Cucun said there is ongoing domestic debate about the proposal to carry out dam animal slaughter in Indonesia.

To align Saudi regulations with Islamic jurisprudence, the DPR plans to hold meetings with relevant parties.

‘Insha’Allah, we will soon invite relevant ministries, the Indonesian Ulema Council, and Islamic jurisprudence experts. We must not compromise the religious validity of the process while improving operational rules—this is for the welfare of the community,’ he said.