KPK Responds to Yaqut: No Need to Divide Hajj Quota 50:50 After Saudi Arabia Inspection
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has responded to comments made by former Minister of Religious Affairs, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, regarding the allocation of additional Hajj quotas, which he proposed should be divided 50:50 to ensure the safety of pilgrims. The KPK, together with the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), has inspected conditions on the ground in Saudi Arabia and concluded that there is no need to divide the additional Hajj quotas 50:50.
“We travelled to Saudi Arabia together with a team of auditors from the BPK to assess the availability of facilities for Hajj pilgrims, and we found that the facilities are already adequate and well-maintained for the Hajj pilgrimage. Therefore, we believe that the stated reason is not valid,” said KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo at the KPK building in Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Tuesday (24 February 2026).
“We observed that the facilities are indeed available. This means that the 50:50 split should not have been implemented,” he added.
Budi explained that the additional quota provided by Saudi Arabia was intended to reduce the waiting list for Hajj pilgrimages. Therefore, Yaqut’s reason for dividing the additional quota equally is considered unfounded.
“The provision of an additional 20,000 quotas is intended to reduce the length of the waiting list for regular Hajj pilgrimages. However, the decision to split it 50 percent for regular pilgrims and 50 percent for special pilgrims seems inconsistent with the original purpose,” he said.
Budi mentioned that in this case, there are also suspicions of funds being diverted to the Ministry of Religious Affairs. He urged that this case be viewed as a whole.
“Therefore, we should not look at this issue in isolation, but rather as a whole. Starting with the philosophy or background of the additional quota provided by the Saudi Arabian government, which is to reduce the length of the waiting list for Hajj pilgrimages in Indonesia. Many prospective pilgrims have been waiting for decades,” he said.
Previously, Gus Yaqut also explained his defence regarding the 2024 Hajj quota corruption case, in which he is a suspect for the KPK. He said that the case he is facing is a lesson for every leader.
“This is a lesson for every leader in making policy decisions. That even policies taken, even if they involve humanitarian considerations, may still be questioned,” said Yaqut after the pre-trial hearing at the South Jakarta District Court on Tuesday (24 February).
Yaqut said that leaders should not be afraid to make policy decisions. He said that Indonesia is a nation that is brave.
“But that should not make our leaders afraid to make policies that benefit society, the nation and the country. Indonesia cannot be built with leaders who are afraid,” he said.
He then explained the reason for dividing the additional Hajj quota in 2024 into 50 percent for special Hajj pilgrims and 50 percent for regular Hajj pilgrims. Yaqut said that the division of the quota was part of ensuring the safety of pilgrims.
“The only consideration I made when determining the allocation of the quota was hifdzun nafs, which is to protect the lives of pilgrims due to the limited space available in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
“And we must also know that the jurisdiction of Hajj is in Saudi Arabia. So it is not solely the responsibility of the Indonesian government. The jurisdiction is there. We are bound by the regulations in Saudi Arabia, including the allocation of quotas, because there is a Memorandum of Understanding,” he added.
(ial/jbr)