PDIP Views Hajj 'Ticket Auction' Discourse as Potentially Causing Controversy

The determination of Hajj travel must adhere to principles of fair distribution. This means the state is obliged to continue dispatching pilgrims, especially those in the queue that factually existed long before the establishment of BPKH,” said Selly Gantina in her statement on Friday (10/4/2026). Selly stated that the queue system has been regulated in Law No. 14 of 2025 on the Organisation of Hajj Worship. This system, she said, places pilgrims according to their registration order as a form of justice and service certainty. “This means the queue is a systemic consequence of quota limitations, not due to the existence of a particular institution,” she added. Selly highlighted the number of pilgrims currently waiting for departure. She mentioned that around 5 million people have entered the Hajj queue list. “The main reality we face today is the existence of around 5 million pilgrims who have already entered the queue list and have been waiting for years,” said Selly. Therefore, she emphasised that the primary priority remains with pilgrims who registered first. The state, she said, has a moral and administrative responsibility to ensure justice for the public. “Regarding the possibility of additional cost loopholes in the ‘war tiket’ scheme, this is an important note. Without strong, transparent, and accountable governance, such a scheme has the potential to open up space for speculation, even unhealthy commercialisation in Hajj worship,” she added. Selly said that Hajj organisation is not just about services. But it also concerns principles of justice and pilgrim protection. She assessed that the ‘war tiket’ discourse can be seen as an innovation. However, she reminded that the policy must still refer to principles of justice and transparency. Therefore, according to her, the ‘war tiket’ discourse must have clear proportions. She assessed that if the entire departure scheme is shifted to the ‘war tiket’ mechanism, it has the potential to cause controversy. Selly assessed that the ‘war tiket’ scheme could be considered as an additional option with limited portions. She exemplified for the elderly or people with disabilities, without disrupting the rights of pilgrims in the queue. “We from the PDI Perjuangan Faction in Commission VIII are ready to discuss comprehensively with the government the best scheme, including determining a fair proportion between pilgrims already in the queue and the possibility of new schemes like ‘war tiket’ or the term Precise Departure zero year,” she asserted. “All policies must be designed without reducing the spirit and enthusiasm of the public to perform Hajj, but still ensuring that access to Hajj worship is managed fairly, transparently, and with social justice,” she added. Previously, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemenhaj) is studying a radical breakthrough to address the Hajj queue problem that has lasted for decades. One discourse that has emerged is implementing a ‘war tiket’ mechanism or a direct registration system without long queues, similar to the Hajj dispatch process in the past. The Minister of Hajj and Umrah of the Republic of Indonesia, Mochamad Irfan Yusuf, revealed that this idea stems from progressive thinking within the Ministry, including from the Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah. The aim is to find a solution so that prospective pilgrims do not have to wait too long to depart to the Holy Land. “The thought emerges whether such a long queue is necessary? Why not think about how we return to the era before BPKH existed. Before BPKH, Insyaallah there was no queue,” said the Hajj Minister at the National Work Meeting (Rakernas) for Consolidation of Hajj Worship Organisation for 1447 H/2025 M held at the Grand El Hajj Hajj Dormitory (Cipondoh Hajj Dormitory), Tangerang, Banten on Wednesday (8/4/2026). In this ‘war tiket’ scheme, the government will later announce the Hajj costs for the current year and open registration on a specific date. Anyone who is financially and physically ready can register directly and depart in the same year.