Misallocation of Hajj Quota by Yaqut Harms 8,400 Regular Pilgrims
The Indonesian Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK) has revealed the systemic impact of alleged corruption in the administration and allocation of hajj quotas at the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag). The bribery case involving former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas has resulted in postponed departures for at least 8,400 prospective regular pilgrims.
Asep Guntur Rahayu, Deputy for Prosecution and Execution at the KPK, explained that the core problem was the diversion of additional quotas in violation of regulations. Under Law No. 8 of 2019 on the Implementation of Hajj and Umrah Worship, supplementary allocations should have been prioritised for regular pilgrims to reduce lengthy waiting lists.
“The 8,400 additional quotas, which according to Law No. 8 of 2019 on the Implementation of Hajj and Umrah Worship should have been regular hajj quotas, were converted into special hajj quotas,” said Asep at KPK headquarters in South Jakarta on Friday, 13 March.
Asep added that these thousands of quotas subsequently became commodities contested by Special Hajj Organisers (PIHK). Their distribution was conducted unilaterally without following applicable legal procedures.
Modus Operandi: The ‘T0’ Hajj Pilgrim Phenomenon
The method employed by the suspects allowed newly registered prospective pilgrims to depart immediately by paying a certain sum of money through special hajj organisers. This created injustice for pilgrims who had been waiting in queues for years.
“Thus there are pilgrims referred to as T0 or TX (no queue) hajj pilgrims,” said Asep.
Beyond pilgrim quotas, the KPK also detected alleged trading of hajj officer positions. “Hajj officer quotas were also allegedly used contrary to regulations,” he added.
Manipulation of Quota Percentages
Technically, Indonesia received an additional 20,000 hajj quotas to expedite the queue. According to regulations, the allocation should have been distributed at a 92% to 8% ratio for regular and special hajj respectively. However, in practice, the distribution was conducted equally at 50:50.
In this case, the KPK has designated two primary suspects. Yaqut is currently officially detained for an initial detention period of 20 days. Numerous witnesses from Ministry of Religious Affairs officials to travel service providers, including Islamic scholar Khalid Basalamah, have been questioned to complete the case file before it is forwarded to trial.
The alleged bribery originated from a policy on distributing an additional 20,000 hajj quotas for pilgrims, deemed to violate regulations. The KPK revealed the involvement of Maktour owner Fuad Hasan Masyhur in the 2023 hajj quota scandal, allegedly corresponding with former Minister Yaqut regarding additional quotas that caused state losses of Rp622 billion.