TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto is pushing to further shorten the grueling waiting times for Indonesian Hajj pilgrims. This ambition was revealed by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) and Head of the DPR Hajj Supervisory Team, Cucun Ahmad Syamsurijal, following a meeting with the head of state at Prabowo’s private residence in Hambalang, Bogor, West Java.
Cucun stated that Prabowo is monitoring efforts to alleviate the backlog for hopeful pilgrims. Under Prabowo’s administration, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah aims to standardize the waiting time for regular Hajj departures across all provinces to a baseline of approximately 26 years.
“He even mentioned earlier that if possible, we should expedite the process even further, [questioning] what kind of scheme could be drawn up to ensure this queue is not so long,” Cucun told journalists in Bogor, West Java, on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
During the Hambalang meeting, parliamentary representatives from Commission VIII and the Hajj Supervisory Team also presented their monitoring results regarding pilgrim departure mechanisms, including the enforcement of immigration protocols designed to prevent illegal departures.
In addition, Cucun highlighted that tangible upgrades to pilgrim accommodations stand out as one of the achievements of this year’s Hajj management, drawing special attention from the administration.
“Now, nearly 17,000 regular pilgrims are being housed in Zone 1, directly around the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, staying in five-star hotels. We heard emotional testimonies from the pilgrims themselves, who said, ‘Pak, we never imagined we would be given such good hotels, or that we would experience the Hajj from a five-star hotel not far from the mosque,'” Cucun shared.
Cucun went on to explain that improvements have also been made in catering services. According to the National Awakening Party (PKB) politician, the Ministry of Hajj successfully negotiated with supply companies to provide a more varied food menu that caters to the local palates of Indonesian pilgrims.
Cucun stated that President Prabowo has directed all relevant stakeholders to maintain these successful structural innovations while constantly evaluating areas that require refinement. Prabowo, Cucun noted, appreciated the cooperation and communication established between the government, through the Ministry of Hajj, and parliament throughout the execution of the 2026 Hajj season.
Read: Death of Elderly Pilgrim with Dementia Sparks Concern on Hajj Oversight
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