JAKARTA The discourse of establishing the Ministry of Hajj is nothing new. This idea has been around for a long time, even before President Prabowo Subianto announced the composition of his cabinet. However, what was eventually formed was not a ministry, but a ministry-level institution called the Hajj Organizing Agency (BP Hajj).
The chairman of BPH, KH Mochamad Irfan Yusuf or who is familiarly called Gus Irfan, explained that the formation of BPH is part of the President's authority. Although many parties want a ministry that specializes in handling hajj and Umrah affairs, he assesses that the form of his institution is entirely the prerogative of the President.
"Some friends in the DPR, MUI, and ulama factions have indeed proposed the formation of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to focus on taking care of this worship. But for us, whether it's a ministry or agency, what is important is that the authority to organize the pilgrimage is still being carried out," said Gus Irfan.
The idea of this ministry, said Gus Irfan, has actually been part of Prabowo's vision and mission since the 2014 presidential election campaign. Even during the 2019 presidential election, the idea was raised again.
Pada 2014, yang diusulkan adalah Kementerian Haji dan Waqf. Tapi menjelang pengumuman kabinet, yang muncul justru Badan Penyelenggara Haji. Meski begitu, Presiden memastikan lembaga ini memiliki kedupan setingkat kementerian, paparnya.
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During his tenure as Chairman of the BPH, Gus Irfan admitted that he had very good communication with the Ministry of Hajj of Saudi Arabia. "We have met between four and five times. The communication relationship is very intense and productive," he explained.
He also said that BPH received several official invitations from the Ministry of Hajj of Saudi Arabia, including to speak at an international forum discussing the implementation of Umrah and pilgrimages to the Holy Land.
"We were not only present as guests, but were also given the opportunity to convey the views and ideas in the forum," said Gus Irfan.
For information, based on Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 154 of 2024, BP Haji will start functioning actively in 2025. Its role includes technical support and supervision of the implementation of Hajj.
"Indeed, currently there have not been too many executions in the field. However, we have been involved in various processes, including the preparation of the budget with the Ministry of Religion before being submitted to Commission VIII of the DPR RI," he said.
As a result, the cost of Hajj for 2025 is set at IDR 89.41 million per congregation, slightly lower than the previous year.
Regarding the possibility of increasing the status of the Hajj Organizing Body to the ministry, Gus Irfan emphasized that the decision was entirely in the hands of the President.
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