Indonesia’s expanding corruption investigation into the management of its annual Hajj quota has taken on a sharper political edge, with anti-graft activists pointing to former president Joko Widodo as a key figure in how the extra pilgrimage slots were obtained, and how they may have been misused.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) recently named former religious affairs minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas a suspect over alleged irregularities in the distribution of Hajj quotas between 2020 and 2024.
Investigators are now examining whether additional pilgrimage places, secured through high-level diplomacy, were diverted into more expensive private schemes rather than used to shorten Indonesia’s famously long waiting list.
Boyamin Saiman, a leading figure from Indonesia’s Anti-Corruption Society, said the case could not be separated from decisions taken at the very top of government.
Speaking to Metro TV, Mr Saiman said that the extra Hajj quota Indonesia received “was the result of direct lobbying by President Jokowi to the Saudi royal family”, adding that this meant the former president should be asked how those places were eventually used.
He argued that the additional quota was supposed to benefit regular pilgrims, many of whom wait decades for a place.
“If those slots ended up being sold through special or premium channels, then something went very wrong,” he said.
Travel agencies under scrutiny
The KPK says its investigation is focused on how the quota was managed and distributed inside Indonesia.
Dozens of Hajj and Umrah travel agencies have been questioned, as investigators trace the flow of pilgrimage slots and any possible payments to officials in the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Officials at the anti-graft body say they are particularly interested in whether private operators sold access to the extra quota, turning what was meant to be a public benefit into a lucrative market.
To Metro TV, a KPK spokesperson said travel agencies and special Hajj operators were “crucial witnesses” because they were the ones dealing directly with pilgrims and handling the controversial allocations.
The commission also confirmed that Mr Qoumas has been barred from leaving the country and that his home was searched earlier this year.
Diplomacy meets domestic politics
While serving as president, Mr Widodo publicly celebrated his success in persuading Saudi Arabia to grant Indonesia thousands of additional Hajj places, a move intended to ease waiting times that in some regions exceed 30 years.
But critics now say that what began as a diplomatic win has turned into a governance problem, with the Ministry of Religious Affairs allegedly failing to safeguard the extra quota from abuse.
Viral claims debunked
At the same time, misleading claims have circulated on social media suggesting Mr Qoumas had accused Mr Widodo of personally receiving money from the Hajj quota scheme.
Fact-checkers and major Indonesian news organisations have found no evidence for this, and no such statement has been made publicly by the former minister.
The KPK has not named Mr Widodo as a suspect, but campaigners say his role in securing the quota makes him a relevant witness.
For millions of Indonesian Muslims still waiting for their turn to travel to Mecca, the outcome of the investigation could determine whether the promised relief from long queues ever truly arrives — or whether it was lost to corruption along the way.
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