The Red And White Cabinet Is Getting Bigger, Will The Ministry Of Hajj Answer Various Challenges?

JAKARTA The polemic of organizing the pilgrimage that occurs in almost every year has led to the utak-atik of the Red and White Cabinet. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah is now the 49th ministry in the administration of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

The House of Representatives (DPR) together with the government approved the establishment of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah through the ratification of the Third Amendment to Law Number 8 of 2019 concerning the Implementation of Hajj and Umrah.

The establishment of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah was created because the implementation of Indonesian Hajj and Umrah often presents polemics.

The high hope of the existence of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah is not merely a replacement for nomenclature. There needs to be significant changes so that it gives birth to the quality of governance, technical competence, and transparency as expected by Indonesian pilgrims.

As a country with the largest number of Muslims in the world, the implementation of Hajj every year always presents dynamics, from technical to corruption.

In 2024, the DPR will form a special committee for organizing Hajj. In addition, there were also indications of corruption related to the hajj quota that dragged the name of former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas. Currently Yaqut has been questioned by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and prevented from traveling abroad.

This is not the first time corruption related to hajj funds has occurred. In the last 20 years, there were two cases of irregularities in lasting funds involving former Minister of Religion Said Agil Husin Al-Munawar and former Minister of Religion Suryadharma Ali.

Trasparency International Indonesia researcher. Agus Sarwono assessed that the Hajj corruption was repeated due to the weakness of the surveillance system at the Ministry of Religion.

"There is no strict internal control mechanism to ensure the distribution of the hajj quota runs according to the rules," he said.

One of the complicated problems in the implementation of the hajj is the imbalance between the quota given by the Saudi Arabian government and the number of pilgrims who register. This inequality allows the queue of prospective pilgrims to reach tens of years.

Indonesia itself has returned to its position as the country that sends the largest pilgrims in the world. In 2025, the total quota of Indonesian Hajj reached 221,000 members of the congregation, consisting of 203,320 members of regular pilgrims and 17,680 members of special Hajj pilgrims.

Muhammad Makmun Rasyid as the Central Executive of the 2025-2030 Nahdlatul Ulama Bachelors Association in his column in Kompas said the formation of the Ministry of Hajj presented optimism. Single authorities are believed to strengthen policy focus, simplify coordination, and improve service professionalism.

"With a quota of 221,000 members of the congregation, a stronger institutional capacity is really needed so that the Hajj is carried out in an orderly and efficient manner," wrote Rasyid.

Meanwhile, Professor of Public Policy at the University of Indonesia, Eko Prasojo, assessed that the formation of the Ministry of Hajj would make the implementation of Hajj and Umrah more effective, because this could reduce the affairs of the Ministry of Religion which had been quite complex so far.

The formation of a new ministry must be accompanied by the development of an accountable and transparent system, because the managed hajj funds are very large.

On the other hand, the addition of this ministry is also a challenge in itself, one of which is the possibility of attracting large budgets ranging from institutional infrastructure, employee recruitment, to the establishment of an administrative system.

With this addition, President Prabowo's administration means it has a total of 49 ministries. Head of the Department of Politics and Social Changes Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Arya Fernandes said the need for the formation of the Ministry of Hajj was inevitable. However, steps to enlarge the cabinet structure will be risky.

This is because the new ministry was formed when the government had only been running for 10 months. The government has also proposed the 2026 State Revenue and Expenditure Budget Draft (RAPBN) for the next year.

The public also questioned the source of this latest institution's operational funds. Moreover, the Prabowo government is still in the mode of tightening the budget. In addition to budget matters, the establishment of a ministry while the government is running will also trigger public speculation. Especially considering that the Red and White Cabinet has been in the spotlight because the number of ministries which has reached 48 institutions. This figure is the largest since the Reformation.

The proposal risks creating different views from society. Moreover, currently the ministry is very fat, there are 48 ministries plus agencies," said Arya.

In the end, Muhammad Makmun Rasyid emphasized that institutional transformation should be seen as an opportunity for reform, not just a change of name. The presence of the Ministry of Hajj is awaited to present more transparent, accountable, and congregationally friendly governance, especially for vulnerable groups such as the elderly.

"The Ministry of Hajj will only be meaningful if it is able to answer these challenges, not just additional bureaucratic buildings. The public is waiting for concrete evidence, not just promises," he concluded.