Parliamentary Leader Urges Government to Conduct Assessment for Hajj Pilgrims' Safety

Jakarta — Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Saan Mustopa has called on the government to ensure the security and safety of prospective hajj pilgrims amid Middle Eastern conflicts.

Saan expressed hope that prospective pilgrims would still be able to perform the hajj pilgrimage, thus requiring careful consideration and assessment.

“Therefore, it is necessary to consider and assess how to ensure the safety of pilgrims so they can continue to perform their hajj pilgrimage,” Saan told journalists on Thursday (12 March 2026).

According to him, the government must conduct thorough assessment and consideration at the time of departure, return, and whilst pilgrims are performing the hajj in Saudi Arabia.

“And of course it also affects not only flight routes and other matters, it affects all security comprehensively,” he said.

Commission VIII of the House and the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah have begun discussing measures to protect the security and safety of hajj pilgrims.

Saan continued that the government also needs to discuss potential worst-case scenarios if the situation in the Gulf region escalates further.

To date, Saan said, the preparation process for conducting and dispatching hajj pilgrims remains in line with the original scenario.

However, the government must continue to monitor developments in the Middle East conflict.

“The fluctuations in the temperature of the Iran-US-Israel war, we still need to monitor that. It is important to monitor because it will be used as material for decision-making regarding our hajj pilgrimage,” he said.

“If the option is to postpone because the impact would also be broad, the impact would be substantial. But now it is how we think about ensuring the hajj pilgrimage proceeds whilst ensuring the safety of our pilgrims remains the primary consideration,” he concluded.