Yaqut Reveals Reason for Equally Splitting Additional Hajj Quota: Safeguarding Lives
Former Religious Affairs Minister under Indonesia’s seventh President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, has explained his rationale for issuing a ministerial regulation that divided the additional hajj quota equally — 10,000 each for special and regular hajj categories.
“The sole consideration I made when determining the quota distribution was Hifzu an-Nafs — safeguarding the lives of pilgrims due to the limited capacity in Saudi Arabia,” Yaqut said whilst attending his first pretrial hearing at the South Jakarta District Court on Tuesday (24 February).
Yaqut, who holds suspect status, stated that hajj affairs fall under Saudi Arabian jurisdiction. The Indonesian government, he explained, is bound by all regulations pertaining to the hajj.
“The jurisdiction is there; we are bound by the regulations in Saudi Arabia, including the quota distribution, because there is an MoU [Memorandum of Understanding] that we use as our basis, which led to the issuance of the Ministerial Decree,” he said.
Pretrial Hearing
Regarding the pretrial motion, Yaqut stressed that it was not an attempt to obstruct the ongoing investigation by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
He said he merely wished to exercise his right to test the procedures employed by the KPK in designating him as a suspect.
“I am exercising my right to file a pretrial motion against my designation as a suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission. This is not intended to obstruct, let alone oppose, the legal process — but to exercise my right, just as you have all witnessed the KPK exercising its right not to attend today,” Yaqut said.
On the occasion, reflecting on the case brought against him, Yaqut stated that every leader can draw lessons when making policy decisions.
“Even policies taken with humanitarian considerations are not necessarily free from being questioned,” he said.
“But this must not make our leaders afraid to take policies that benefit the public, the nation and the state. Indonesia cannot be built with leaders who are afraid. That is my view,” he added.
Sole judge at the South Jakarta District Court, Sulistyo Muhammad Dwi Putro, adjourned the first pretrial hearing filed by Yaqut Cholil Qoumas — a suspect in the alleged corruption case related to additional hajj quotas — for one week. The adjournment was due to the KPK, as the respondent, failing to attend the hearing.
Yaqut, along with his Special Staff member Ishfah Abidal Aziz, also known as Gus Alex, was designated by the KPK as a suspect in the alleged corruption of additional hajj quotas. However, neither has been detained.
The KPK has requested the Directorate General of Immigration to reimpose a six-month overseas travel ban on Yaqut and Ishfah until 12 August 2026.
During the ongoing investigation, the KPK has searched several locations, including Yaqut’s residence in Condet, East Jakarta; a hajj and umrah travel agency office in Jakarta; the home of a Religious Affairs Ministry civil servant in Depok; and the offices of the Directorate General of Hajj and Umrah Operations at the Religious Affairs Ministry.
A substantial amount of evidence allegedly linked to the case has been seized, including documents, electronic evidence, a four-wheeled vehicle and property.
According to the KPK’s preliminary calculations, the case is suspected of causing state losses exceeding Rp1 trillion. The KPK is still awaiting the final calculation being conducted by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).
Background to the Hajj Quota Case
The additional hajj quota under KPK investigation was obtained after President Jokowi held a bilateral meeting with Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al-Saud, on 19 October 2023.
Under Article 64, Paragraph 2 of Law Number 8 of 2019 on the Organisation of Hajj and Umrah, the special hajj quota is set at 8 per cent of Indonesia’s total hajj quota. The special hajj quota comprises special hajj pilgrims and special hajj officials. The remaining 92 per cent is allocated to the regular hajj quota.
The additional 20,000 hajj places should have been distributed as 18,400 (92 per cent) for regular hajj pilgrims and 1,600 (8 per cent) for special hajj pilgrims.
Accordingly, the regular hajj allocation, originally 203,320, should have increased to 221,720 pilgrims, whilst the special hajj allocation, originally 17,680, should have risen to 19,280 pilgrims.
However, the quota was instead divided equally — 10,000 for regular hajj and 10,000 for special hajj.
This was set out in Religious Affairs Ministerial Decree Number 130 of 2024, signed by the then Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas on 15 January 2024.
The KPK believes there was an unlawful act in the distribution of the additional hajj quota, a view supported by legal expert opinion.
The alleged corruption case involving the 2023–2024 additional hajj quota is estimated to have caused state losses of at least Rp1 trillion. The KPK is awaiting the final state loss calculation being conducted by the BPK.
Since the outset of the case, the KPK has also been cooperating with the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) to trace the flow of funds.