Hidayat Nur Wahid Publishes Book 'Reform of Indonesia's Hajj Governance'

This 242-page book is published by Pustaka Saga in collaboration with the Indonesian Institute for the Study of Religion and Nationhood (Institut Indonesia untuk Kajian Keumatan dan Kebangsaan). The work provides an in-depth examination of the various crucial challenges in organising the Hajj, ranging from the lengthy queues of pilgrims, the complexity of quotas, the handling of the community’s Hajj funds, to the quality of accommodation and transport in the Holy Land.

“Reform of Hajj governance must be carried out fundamentally, starting with regulations, strengthening diplomacy with Saudi Arabia, and the formation of a more robust and service-oriented institutional body to serve pilgrims,” said Hidayat Nur Wahid in his statement, on Wednesday (20 May 2026).

Also present as discussants were BRIN Senior Principal Researcher Professor Agus Fanar Syukri, Executive Director of the Institut Indonesia Dr Muhammad Iqbal, as well as kyai, ustadz, students, and community leaders.

One of the main points highlighted in the book is a push to create a body dedicated to organising the Hajj. Initially, the President introduced the Hajj Organising Body through Presidential Regulation Number 154 of 2024. He advocated elevating BP Haji’s status to the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. This step was deemed crucial so that the body would have a stronger bargaining position in international diplomacy with the government of Saudi Arabia and to broaden service reach even to the regions.

“Alhamdulillah our proposal was accommodated through the enactment of Law Number 14 of 2025 on the Administration of Hajj and Umrah, as the third amendment to Law Number 8 of 2019. With this Law, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah was established, which from the year 2026 CE will replace the Ministry of Religion as the organiser of Hajj in Indonesia,” said Hidayat.

In addition to establishing the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, the PKS faction also succeeded in strengthening the principles of Hajj administration, removing the age limit for departure, ensuring compensation for services not in accordance, with the involvement of the Hajj Financial Management Agency in decision-making on Hajj costs.

Meanwhile, writer Abdul Fikri Faqih, who is also a member of the 2025 Hajj Supervisory Team (Timwas Haji 2025M), emphasised that budget efficiency as government policy must not compromise the quality of Hajj services on the ground.

“Cost efficiency in Hajj must not compromise the quality of pilgrims’ services. Costs may fall, but the quality of service must continue to improve,” Fikri insisted.

Further, Fikri, who is also a member of the 2025 Hajj Supervisory Team (Timwas Haji 2025M), added that the supervisory system in 2026 CE underwent a fundamental change by involving cross-sectoral oversight in Parliament.

“Pilgrimage management this year involves many ministries/agencies (K/L), including health, transportation, and other ministries. So all the DPR RI commissions are focused on overseeing the Hajj administration. Very different from the 2025 Hajj where oversight was only under Commission VIII of the DPR,” added Fikri.

The launch of this work received positive appreciation from government circles. The Minister of Hajj and Umrah of the Republic of Indonesia, Mochamad Irfan Yusuf, in his written address in the book, stated that governance reform indeed is a necessity for modernising service delivery.

“As an institution bearing this heavy responsibility, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of the Republic of Indonesia hopes that governance reform can deliver Hajj administration that is increasingly professional, modern, transparent, and oriented towards the best service,” said Irfan Yusuf.

In line with this, the Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar, in his written address, also commended the consistency of lawmakers in refining the regulations.

“I applaud the Leaders and Members of Commission VIII of the DPR RI who have consistently strived to provide the best service to Indonesian Hajj pilgrims,” Nasaruddin concluded.