PKB Agrees To Revision Of Hajj Law, Urges Improvement Of Supervision, Clearness Of Authority, And Transparency

JAKARTA - The 25th DPR Plenary Meeting of the Fourth Session Period IV of the 2024-2025 Session Year approved the amendment to Law No. 8 of 2019 concerning the Implementation of Hajj and Umrah. The PKB faction hopes that this amendment to the law will improve the rules regarding Hajj and Umrah so that the state provides optimal service for pilgrims.

Spokesperson for the PKB faction, Maman Imanul Haq, said the state must be responsible for ensuring the smooth, security and transparency of the implementation of the pilgrimage and umrah for the convenience and satisfaction of Indonesian Muslims.

"We agree with the amendment to the law related to the implementation of the pilgrimage and Umrah. The state must provide optimal service for Indonesian pilgrims. With this revision, it is hoped that every Indonesian Muslim can carry out the pilgrimage and Umrah in a more calm and solemn manner," Maman told reporters, Friday, July 25.

"But there are several things that should be of concern in the revision of the law," he continued.

Among them, continued Maman, related to the protection of personal data and cyber security, as well as the unclear distribution authority of the Hajj Organizing Agency.

"In the revision of the Law on the implementation of Hajj and Umrah, personal data protection and cybersecurity have not been specifically regulated, so it is feared that it will have an impact on cross-border lawsuits and reduce the reputation of the government," explained Maman.

"The authority to distribute BP Haji is also considered unclear, so it is feared that it has the potential to cause a slow overlap in policies and bureaucracy. Many technical functions such as supervision of PIHK/PPIU and quota diplomacy are still under the Ministry of Religion. Without an effective solution, institutional conflicts can threaten service efficiency," said Maman.

In the health sector, said Maman, the isthitha'ah mechanism also does not have clear parameters so that there are still weaknesses in the consumer protection scheme for independent Umrah. He is worried that this issue could threaten Indonesia's hajj quota because Saudi Arabia emphasizes the health standards of the congregation.

"Without strict transparency of data and eligibility parameters, the risk of reducing quota will always be there," he said.

In addition, Maman considers that the consumer protection scheme for self-isolation Umrah also still shows weaknesses. Although the requirements for Umrah visas are regulated, according to him, there are no settlement mechanisms or guarantees that protect consumers so as to open up loopholes for fraud and legal problems in the event of a departure failure.

"For this reason, the improvement of this regulation aims to not only improve the quality of service as a whole but ensure that the implementation of the pilgrimage and Umrah remains a professional and transparent priority and is able to answer the hopes of Muslims in Indonesia," concluded Maman.