The Role of Gus Alex, Special Staff to Former Religion Minister Yaqut, in the Hajj Quota Case

JAKARTA — The Indonesian Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has designated Ishfah Abidal Aziz, commonly known as Gus Alex, a former special staff member to ex-Religion Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, as a suspect in an alleged corruption case involving the 2023-2024 hajj quota since January 2026. What was Gus Alex’s role in this case?

According to KPK Deputy for Prosecution and Execution Asep Guntur Rahayu, Gus Alex played a key role by ordering Ministry of Religion officials to collect fees after providing special hajj quota allocations that exceeded the standard distribution regulations.

In 2023, Asep stated, Gus Alex instructed Rizky Fisa Abadi, former Head of the Sub-directorate for Licensing, Accreditation, and Special Hajj Operator Development, to relax policies regarding the T0 scheme—new pilgrims who had just registered and could depart directly to the Holy Land.

“Rizky Fisa then determined pilgrim quotas for 54 special hajj operators, allowing them to depart immediately without queuing. Rizky Fisa also granted special treatment to certain operators to fill additional special hajj quotas with T0 or TX pilgrims (accelerated or out-of-sequence departures),” Asep said during a press conference at the Red and White Building in Jakarta on Thursday, 12 March 2026.

Rizky subsequently ordered his staff to collect acceleration fees from special hajj operators for filling additional special hajj quotas allocated T0 or TX pilgrims, valued at USD 5,000 or approximately 84.4 million rupiah per pilgrim, Asep noted.

“One method involved redirecting pilgrims holding mujamalah visas (Saudi government-sponsored hajj invitations) into the special hajj category,” he explained.

In early January 2024, Asep continued, Gus Alex called in staff from the Directorate of Umrah and Special Hajj Development and the Head of the Sub-directorate for Licensing, Accreditation, and Special Hajj Operator Development to his office.

Gus Alex directed them to collect acceleration fees and appointed someone to coordinate fee collection from associations and special hajj operators, Asep said.

“The fee value was agreed at USD 2,000 or approximately 33.8 million rupiah per pilgrim,” he stated.

“It was at least USD 2,500 (42.2 million rupiah) per pilgrim as a fee, commitment fee, or other charge to obtain additional special hajj quota allocations—T0 or TX quotas,” he added.

“Collection of these payments occurred between February and June 2024,” he concluded.