JAKARTA - Chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB), Luluk Nur Hamidah, responded to the designation of the former Minister of Religion, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, as a suspect in the Hajj quota case by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
Luluk emphasized that this determination ensures that the state is present to restore public confidence in the implementation of the hajj.
The former member of the DPR Hajj Sub-Committee 2024 said this determination was proof of the findings of the DPR Hajj Sub-Committee regarding the alleged corruption of the Hajj quota.
"As a former member of the DPR RI Hajj Commission, I assess the designation of Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, former Minister of Religion, as a suspect in the case of alleged irregularities in the Hajj quota confirms that the warning of the Commission so far is not without basis," Luluk told VOI, Friday, January 9.
"From the beginning, the Hajj Sub-Committee found serious indications of weak transparency and accountability in the management of quotas, especially in the additional quota policy," he continued.
According to Luluk, today's legal facts must be seen as a momentum for a thorough improvement of the haj governance, not just an individual matter. His party fully supports the legal process underway at the KPK.
"I fully support the legal process carried out by the Corruption Eradication Commission, even though the determination of this suspect feels long and slow. However, this ensures that the state is present to meet the sense of justice of millions of pilgrims and the restoration of public confidence in the organization of the hajj," said Luluk.
In addition, Luluk assessed that the designation of Yaqut as a suspect must be interpreted that the law is fair and equal. "That any abuse of authority in the management of the Hajj quota and Hajj as a whole, must be considered a serious violation of justice and the state's mandate," he said.
Luluk also reminded that this case must be a momentum for a total reform of the haj management, ensuring transparency, accountability, and full impartiality to the congregation.
"The state must maintain the dignity of the hajj and public trust, and ensure that the hajj service is free from political interests and power transactions," he concluded.
Previously, the lawyer for former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, Mellisa Anggraeni, emphasized that his client respected the determination of the status of the suspect made by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
This was conveyed by Mellisa after the KPK announced that Yaqut and his staff, in particular, Ishfah Abidal Aziz alias Gus Alex as suspects in the corruption case for determining quotas and organizing the 2023-2024 hajj in the Ministry of Religion. He said his client had been cooperative since the alleged corruption had rolled out.
"We express our full respect for the ongoing legal process," Mellisa told reporters in a written statement, Friday, January 9.
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