Yaqut's legal expert says Haj deposits and quotas are not state finances

Jakarta — A specialist in public finance and administrative law from the Faculty of Law at the University of Indonesia (UI), Dian Puji Nugraha Simatupang, stated that haj deposits from the public and the haj quota are not included in the category of state finances. This was stated by Dian as he gave his testimony as an expert witness for the applicant’s side, former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, in a pretrial hearing against the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) at the South Jakarta District Court, on Thursday, 5 March 2026. “Not at all, Your Honour. The legal basis lies in the explanation of Article 7 of Law No. 34 of 2014 on the management of haj finances,” he said. “Haj fee deposits are not entrusted funds because they are not recorded and managed using the mechanism of the APBN (the State Budget Law).” According to Dian, the funds deposited by prospective haj pilgrims are stored in a fund that is not a state treasury. This is because the treasury has never been designated as a state treasury by the Minister of Finance. “The treasury that holds the receipts is not the state treasury, Your Honour, because it has never been designated as the state treasury by the Minister of Finance,” he said. “Moreover, Your Honour, because that is entirely the right of the prospective pilgrims,” he added. Beyond haj funds, Dian also touched on the status of the haj quota. He stated that the haj quota cannot be treated as an object of state finances that could lead to losses to the state.” “Thus, a quota cannot be capitalised into a source of financial revenue,” said Dian. He emphasised that the organisation of the Hajj is non-profit, so the state must not profit from managing haj funds or quotas. “The state must not profit at all,” he said.