Minister Gus Irfan Halts Discussion on Hajj Ticket Lottery in Parliament

Jakarta, VIVA – Minister of Hajj and Umrah M. Irfan Yusuf, or Gus Irfan, has temporarily halted discussions on the Hajj ticket lottery proposal with Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI). The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah is currently focusing on preparations for the 2026 Hajj, which will take place in the near future. “If it is considered too premature, we will close the discussion for now until today, while we complete the Hajj that is right in front of us,” said Gus Irfan during a working meeting with Commission VIII of the DPR RI at the Parliamentary Complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Tuesday, 14 April 2026. He added that the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah is handling the matter internally within the institution. Gus Irfan admitted that the ticket lottery proposal was first raised by him. “I admit that the ticket lottery, this ticket lottery is a concept we are discussing in the Ministry of Hajj, and if asked who is responsible, I am the one who first introduced the term ticket lottery,” he said. Previously, the ticket lottery proposal submitted by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah received rejection from several members of Commission VIII of the DPR RI during the meeting on Tuesday, 14 April 2026. Member of Commission VIII of the DPR RI, Maman Imanul Haq, requested that the discussion on the Hajj ticket lottery be halted. He assessed that the government should currently focus on perfecting a better Hajj management system. “The concept of the ticket lottery, in my opinion, needs to be paused for now when we must address the best system matters,” said Maman during the meeting with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on Tuesday, 14 April 2026. He emphasised that Commission VIII of the DPR has a commitment to successfully organising this year’s Hajj pilgrimage. In fact, he stated that the preparations being carried out are one of the most thorough compared to previous ones. “We act as spokespersons in our respective electoral districts to say that there is no preparation that is more systematic and ready than this year’s Hajj preparations,” he explained. Rejection of the ticket lottery was also expressed by Member of the DPR RI Commission VIII, M Husni SE. He stated that the policy has the potential to cause negative impacts on society.