KPK Reveals Role of Maktour Boss Fuad in Haji Quota Corruption Case Ensnaring Yaqut
Indonesia’s Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK) has revealed the role of Maktour Travel owner Fuad Hasan Masyhur in connection with a hajj quota corruption case that has ensnared former Minister of Religion (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas (YCQ). Fuad is said to have written to Yaqut requesting that hajj and umrah travel agencies continue to receive special hajj quotas from the additional quota obtained by Indonesia during the 2023–2024 period.
Asep Guntur Rahayu, Deputy for Prosecution and Execution at the KPK, explained that the problem of distributing additional hajj quotas in 2023 began with a letter submitted by Fuad in his capacity as Chairman of the Board of Advisors of the Forum for Brotherhood of the Association of Hajj and Umrah Travel Agencies (SATHU), requesting an allocation to maximise absorption of the additional quota. At that time, Indonesia had obtained an additional hajj quota of 8,000 to be used for regular hajj quotas.
However, Fuad felt that travel agencies could maximise the additional quota by requesting the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) to divide the additional quota for special hajj. As a result, the additional quota of 8,000 was divided with a percentage of 92% for regular hajj and 8% for special hajj.
“FHM then communicated with HL (Hilman Latief) as Director General of Hajj and Umrah Operations (PHU), regarding the SATHU Forum letter stating that the SATHU Forum was ready to maximise absorption of the additional quota,” Asep explained at a press conference at KPK headquarters in South Jakarta on Thursday (12 March 2026).
Asep stated that Hilman Latief proposed to Yaqut that the additional hajj quota be divided into 92% regular quota and 8% special quota. This quota differed from the conclusion reached in the parliamentary meeting at that time.
“YCQ subsequently approved the proposal by issuing Ministerial Decree on Religion (KMA) number 467 of 2023 on 19 May 2023 concerning the establishment of the 2023 additional hajj quota with a composition of 7,360 quotas for regular hajj and 640 quotas for special hajj,” he continued.
In the end, Yaqut’s proposal based on Fuad’s request was approved by parliament. After that, Yaqut, through his former special staff (Stafsus) Ishfah Abidal Aziz (IAA), also known as Gus Alex, promptly issued a Decree of the Director General of PHU in 2023, which was drafted at the time by Rizky Fisa Abadi (RFA), the former Head of the Licensing, Accreditation, and Special Hajj Operations Development Sub-Division at the Ministry of Religion.
However, Gus Alex apparently conveyed a message requesting that Rizky relax policy regarding special hajj registrants so they could depart in the same year as registration without queuing. Gus Alex also instructed Rizky to collect acceleration fees from special hajj organisers (PIHK) for filling the additional special hajj quota that received acceleration for departure valued at USD 5,000 or approximately Rp 84.4 million per pilgrim.
“One method was by converting mujamalah visa hajj pilgrims into special hajj,” said Asep.
In the 2024 hajj period, the same pattern was again applied by Yaqut to accommodate the request for additional special hajj quota, which was again requested by Fuad Hasan. The two met in November 2023 along with several officials from the PIHK association.
“The meeting discussed, among other things, the SATHU Forum’s request to manage additional special hajj quota exceeding 8%,” Asep explained.
In following up on the meeting, Yaqut conveyed to Hilman Latief a desire to divide the additional 20,000 quota 50:50, resulting in an additional special hajj quota of 10,000 and an additional regular hajj quota of 10,000.
“YCQ also requested HL to draft a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding the proposed additional hajj quota with a 50:50 division scheme. Subsequently, YCQ instructed that a simulation be conducted that could serve as justification or basis for changing the composition of the additional quota to 10,000 regular hajj and 10,000 special hajj,” Asep stated.
Asep reported that Yaqut received fees for the 2023 and 2024 hajj periods. These fees were received by Yaqut after he agreed to the division and acceleration of special hajj departures without queuing.
Asep explained that during the 2023 hajj period, the acceleration fee from PIHK for filling the additional special hajj quota was valued at USD 5,000 or approximately Rp 84.4 million per pilgrim. One method was by converting mujamalah visa hajj pilgrims into special hajj.
“Based on the KPK investigation team’s findings, RFA also provided these acceleration fees to YCQ, IAA, and several officials at the Ministry of Religion,” Asep said.
For the 2024 period, the fee was agreed at USD 2,000 or approximately Rp 33.8 million per pilgrim. The collection of these fees was conducted over the period from February to June 2024.