Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Urged to Audit Hanania Travel After Thousands of Umrah Pilgrims Fail to Depart

DPR Commission VIII member Dini Rahmania has urged the government to conduct a thorough audit and evaluation of Hanania Travel after thousands of prospective pilgrims were reported unable to depart for Umrah.

Dini stated that the examination of pilgrim fund management and operational permits for the Umrah travel agency must be transparent to prevent similar incidents from recurring.

“I urge the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (Kemenhaj) to carry out a comprehensive evaluation, audit, and investigation into the fund management and operational permits of the travel agency,” Dini told Kompas.com on Friday (29 May 2026). “The scrutiny must be transparent to clearly determine how pilgrim funds are managed and where the money is allocated.”

Dini noted that many prospective pilgrims have even sold assets to pay for Umrah travel costs.

Therefore, irresponsible travel practices must be strictly addressed.

“I am deeply concerned by the Hanania Travel case, which has left thousands of prospective pilgrims unable to depart for Umrah,” she said. “Such incidents cannot be taken lightly as they affect citizens who have saved and placed great hopes in performing their religious duties.”

She noted that pilgrims are often promised cheap packages, then repeatedly delayed for various reasons until they ultimately fail to depart.

“I see a recurring pattern in these cases: pilgrims are offered cheap packages, then departures are postponed multiple times for various reasons, including global geopolitical situations. Yet in the end, they are still not sent and suffer significant losses,” Dini said.

“There must not be travel agencies that freely collect public funds with weak oversight,” she added.

In addition to audits and evaluations, Dini called on the government to ensure the protection of pilgrims’ rights, including guaranteed departures and refunds.

Previously reported, Hanania Travel’s CEO Ahmad Syah Farhan was reported to the Jakarta Metropolitan Police for alleged fraud and embezzlement of Umrah funds, with estimated losses of Rp60 billion.

Jakarta Metropolitan Police spokesperson Chief Commissioner Budi Hermanto confirmed the force had received a report regarding the alleged Umrah fraud.

According to him, the complainants stated they had paid for Umrah travel but were unable to depart on the scheduled date.

“However, on the promised departure date, the complainants could not leave,” Budi said.