KPK Cecar Secretary General Of The Ministry Of Religion Era Yaqut Cholil Qoumas Regarding The Issuance Of Additional Hajj Quota Decrees

Former Secretary General (Secretary General) of the Ministry of Religion Nizar Ali was questioned by the KPK on September 12, 2025. (Tsa Tsia-VOI)

JAKARTA - Former Secretary General (Secretary General) of the Ministry of Religion Nizar Ali has undergone an examination by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) today, September 12. He was questioned as a witness to alleged corruption in quotas and the implementation of Hajj for the period 2023-2024.

From field observations, Nizar underwent an examination for almost 3 hours. He began to be questioned from 09.18 WIB to 12.00 WIB.

Nizar admitted that investigators explored several things during the examination. Among other things, the process of issuing a Decree (SK) of the Minister of Religion Number 130 of 2024 regarding the distribution of additional hajj quotas signed by Yaqut Cholil Qoumas while in office.

"Yes, we usually ask about the mechanism for the issuance of the decree, we will answer everything," Nizar told reporters at the KPK's Merah Putih building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta.

Even so, Nizar did not explain in detail the process of issuing the regulation. He only explained that the Secretary General of the Ministry of Religion was in a position as a coordinator and administrative service that was different from the duties of the Directorate General of Hajj and Umrah.

The decree was signed after Indonesia received 20,000 additional hajj quotas from the Saudi Arabian government to reduce queues for pilgrims.

"Yes, the secretary general is the coordinator and administrative service in the field of legislation so that the Directorate General of Hajj," he said.

According to him, the preparation of the decree started from the initiator and then forwarded it to the Secretary General and the Legal Bureau. Nizar then said the discussion would be carried out until it was signed by the Minister of Religion.

"Yes, there is an initiator, from the pemasaka then to the secretary general, the secretary general to the legal bureau, the legal bureau continues to be discussed with a new paraf-paraf process," he said.

Previously reported, the KPK has issued a general investigation warrant (sprindik) for alleged corruption in the addition of quotas and the implementation of Hajj in 2023-2024. This institution reasoned that the issuance was carried out so that they could make forced efforts.

The general Sprindik uses Article 2 Paragraph 1 and/or Article 3 of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended by Law Number 20 of 2021 in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code. This means that there are state losses that occur due to this corrupt practice.

State losses in the corruption case of quota and Hajj for the period 2023-2024 are said to have reached more than IDR 1 trillion. This amount is still increasing because it is only the initial calculation of the KPK which continues to coordinate with the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).

This case began with the provision of 20,000 additional Hajj quotas from the Saudi Arabian government for Indonesia to reduce queues for pilgrims. However, the distribution turned out to be problematic because it was divided equally, namely 50 percent for regular Hajj and 50 percent for special Hajj.

In fact, based on the law, the distribution should be 92 percent for regular Hajj and 8 percent for special Hajj.

Later, the distribution of problems was allegedly due to money from the Hajj and Umrah travel parties as well as the associations that oversee the Ministry of Religion. After getting the allotment, they sold the additional quota to prospective pilgrims.