The DPR's Hajj Questionnaire Special Committee Can Open Indications Of Corruption Buying And Selling Seats For Hajj Plus

Photo by Izuddin Helmi Adnan on Unsplash

JAKARTA - The establishment of the Special Committee (Pansus) on the Right to Implement the 2024 Hajj by the Indonesian House of Representatives can reveal alleged violations of the law. It could also be an entry point to reveal indications of corruption in the sale and purchase of quotas from regular Hajj to plus Hajj.

"The establishment of the DPR's Hajj Rights Special Committee needs to be appreciated because the pressure from a group of people who want changes in the implementation of the Hajj can be accommodated," said Hajj and Umrah Policy Observer, Ade Marfuddin, Thursday, July 11.

According to Ade, the DPR's Hajj Questionnaire Special Committee can be an entry point for people who hope that there will be improvements in the implementation of the Hajj pilgrimage.

"This is a positive and good entrance because the door cannot go through demonstrations, it cannot go through the masses. But it must be a political route, now the political nature is in the DPR, so through this Special Committee it is the right step to carry out a reform of improvement," he explained.

Ade said that the alleged violation of Law Number 8 of 2019 concerning the Implementation of Hajj and Umrah related to the transfer of the Hajj quota should have been investigated by the DPR. Because the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) as the organizer of the Hajj pilgrimage has violated the rules.

"It was a serious violation because the law was violated. The DPR is reasonably offended as the one who drafted the law. The DPR must be angry because the executive violates what the provisions are made with the DPR," said Ade.

To note, the DPR's Hajj Questionnaire Special Committee was made, one of which was because of the alleged violation of the law in terms of the hajj quota. According to the rules, the transfer of the hajj quota from regular to Hajj plus should be a maximum of only 8% of the total quota. However, in the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage, the Ministry of Religion has increased by 50% of the total Indonesian hajj quota.

"You have to look for why changes from 8% to 50%, what's the reason? What are the considerations? I see that there is a robbery, robbery of regular Hajj rights by special Hajj through unilateral policies by the Government. This is a serious violation," said Ade.

The lecturer at the State Islamic University (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta said that the violation committed by the Ministry of Religion was not only against Law Number 8 of 2019, but also its derivative regulations. Ade assessed that the transfer of the hajj quota also violated Presidential Decree (Keppres) No. 6 of 2024 concerning the Cost of Organizing Hajj 1445 H/2024 AD.

"The president was also violated there because there was no re-talk or change in the Presidential Decree to accommodate the 50 percent pilgrims," he said.

Furthermore, Ade highlighted any indications of corruption for violations of the transfer of the hajj quota. Because thousands of quotas that should have been given for regular Hajj are instead transferred to Hajj plus managed by the Special Hajj Organizer (PIHK) or the travel agency that has received a ministerial permit to hold a special pilgrimage.

'PIHK Ini kan bagian dari penyelenggaraan yang berduit. Artinya orang bisa bayarapapun apapun apapun yang penting ada kuota dari antre panjang. Kini kalau ada kuota unggung seperti ini, travel otomatis akan menawarkan siapa yang punya uang,' papar Ade.

"Who has the money then he will look for that gap, this gap is in the additional quota. The additional quota is impossible to reach one person, but to travel. So there must be something, an indication there is," he added.

Therefore, the DPR's Hajj Questionnaire Special Committee is considered to be able to open indications of fraud that occurs from the transfer of the congregation's quota. This is because the DPR's Hajj Committee will summon stakeholders related to the implementation of the Hajj.

"These findings were tracked because a lot of travel used this. Just call, ask how much you paid. This has already taken off, robbed the regular quota, is now being traded," said Ade.

Ade then gave an example of the case of former Win Suryadharma Ali who brought a private group through a regular quota.

"In the past, there were only 35 people in Suryadharma Ali who brought a group of regular quotas, it was processed. These are 8,400 people, you know, imagine the quota is divided disproportionately. People violate the non-processed period laws," he said.

"I see that there are indications of corruption, buying and selling seats. The special committee must investigate, not be half-hearted. This is a very open entrance, further tracing until the evidence is open. The special committee must be completed, what is the reason for the seat of 50% going out arbitrarily, "added Ade.

The DPR's Hajj Angket Special Committee is also considered to be a hope for improving the implementation of the pilgrimage. Not only about the issue of the congregation's quota, but also for other problems.

Ade said that the DPR's Hajj Questionnaire Special Committee can also evaluate the implementation of Hajj from year to year which is considered to always leave problems. The DPR Special Committee is also said to be able to mitigate any problems with organizing the Hajj pilgrimage, including the peak of Hajj in Arafah, Mina, Musdalifah, which must be constrained every year.

This year's Mina Tragedi is a bad record for our Hajj. It has to be seen what the source of the problem is, is it true because of the wrong human error or policy," said Ade.

Ade highlighted the government's policy of not placing Indonesian pilgrims in Mina Jadid. He is of the opinion that the government's decision no longer uses Mina Jadid to create a buildup of pilgrims.

"Automatically, all the old pilgrims in Mina are piled up, this means adding to the problem. That shouldn't have been done because Mina's condition from year to year has not changed significantly to accommodate more and more pilgrims," he said.

Not to mention overstaying pilgrims, congregants who use different visas, this should be a strong mitigation. Including the lack of facilities for pilgrims, especially the problem of accommodation," continued Ade.