Cak Imin Affirms The Special Committee For Hajj Tidak Related To PKB Or PBNU

PKB General Chair Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar spoke in Berastagi, Karo, Friday (26/7/2024). (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives as well as Chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB) Muhaimin Iskandar said that the formation of the 2024 Hajj Questionnaire Special Committee (Pansus) had nothing to do with PKB or the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU).

"It has nothing to do with PKB or PBNU. Understand!" said Cak Imin, his nickname, in his personal social media account @cakimiNOW monitored in Jakarta, Monday, July 29.

This was conveyed in order to refute the statement by the Head of PBNU Yahya Cholil Staquf who accused the 2024 Hajj Questionnaire Special Committee of attacking PBNU.

He emphasized that the 2024 Hajj Questionnaire Special Committee was rolled out by Commission VIII of the DPR to investigate allegations of misappropriation of Hajj visas.

"So this is purely a work affair of Commission VIII asking for the Hajj Anggat Special Committee. The focus is on whether there is a misappropriation of the use of Hajj visas," he said.

Cak Imin said the idea of forming the 2024 Hajj Anggat Special Committee originated from Commission VIII of the DPR which experienced congestion with the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) because it did not get adequate data and information.

"The Ministry of Religion's closedness made Commission VIII agree to dismantle the closed data through the Anggat Special Committee, especially the use of visas for regular Hajj pilgrims who have not been given to pilgrims who have queued for decades," he said.

Earlier, last Sunday, General Chairperson of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board Yahya Cholil Staquf said his party was wondering about the 2024 Hajj Angket Special Committee (Pansus), so he thought there was no strong reason for its formation.

"We see that nothing can be used as sufficient reasons for this special committee," said PBNU General Chair Yahya Cholil Staquf in response to reporters' questions at a press conference after the NU plenary meeting in Jakarta, Sunday.

He is of the opinion that the decision on the existence of the Indonesian House of Representatives Hajj Special Committee regarding the implementation of the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage is related to the position of his younger brother, Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and other issues that are not actually related to the pilgrimage.

So far, he said, he is also still wondering about the background for the formation of the special committee, which was approved for its formation during the 21st DPR RI Plenary Meeting for the V Session Period for the 2023-2024 Session Year, at the Parliament Complex, Jakarta, last Tuesday (9/7).

"This then raises questions to us. Maybe this is a personal matter, maybe," said Yahya Cholil Staquf.