Hanin Marwah, Jakarta – The name of former president Joko Widodo has emerged in the ongoing trial over alleged Hajj quota corruption for the period of 2023-2024. His name was mentioned by the former Director General of Hajj and Umrah Services (PHU) at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Hilman Latief.
Hilman appeared as a witness in the Corruption Court trial today, Thursday, September 24, 2026. The prosecutor questioned Hilman about his Police Investigation Report (BAP) on the chronology of proposing and determining an additional hajj quota of 20,000 pilgrims.
Hilman explained that the former minister of religious affairs, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, a defendant in this case, instructed that the additional quota of 20,000 pilgrims be evenly divided between regular hajj and special hajj. Yaqut told him that it was a direct instruction from Jokowi.
Yaqut conveyed the message to Hilman before he attended a meeting with the Indonesian House of Representatives three years ago. "The minister conveyed that this is a 50:50 directive from the president at that time," Hilman said before the panel of judges.
The panel of judges asked for confirmation about the president being referred to. The witness confirmed that the figure mentioned was Joko Widodo. "Fifty-fifty directive from the President," said Hilman. "(The President is) Joko Widodo," he continued.
Hilman explained that Yaqut conveyed the 50:50 option after the working committee meeting between the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Commission for Religious Affairs of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) concluded. By that time, they had agreed to distribute the additional quota in proportion to the original quota: 92 percent for the regular Hajj and 8 percent for the special Hajj.
Hilman mentioned that the initial discussion on the additional quota at the committee level was dynamic and tough because there were no official documents from the Saudi Arabian government. However, the final decision was made in the DPR using a 92:8 scheme.
After hearing the 50:50 option, Hilman questioned Yaqut about the message. "The Minister sounded out regarding the 50-50. My response was, 'Why not earlier, Pak? This had been decided by us (in the committee),'" he said.
As the Committee Chair, Hilman evaluated that changing the quota composition could not be done without discussing it again with the DPR. "As the committee chair, it should be discussed again with the DPR," he said.
Hilman said that after the discussion, he allowed Yaqut to address quota distribution in a working meeting. "I said, 'Please, Pak Minister, if you want to do this, you may discuss it in the meeting room later,'" said Hilman.
In that meeting, Hilman said, Yaqut still read out the committee formulation result that previously determined a distribution of 92 percent for regular hajj and 8 percent for special hajj. "Well, at the meeting, the Minister still read out the committee's formulation result that I led: 92 percent, 8 percent," said Hilman.
According to Hilman, after hearing the proposal, he conveyed two things, namely that they still needed approval from Saudi Arabia and to hold another meeting with Indonesia's DPR. They eventually sent a letter requesting approval from Saudi Arabia but failed to hold another meeting with Indonesia's DPR.
In this case, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named four suspects, namely the former Minister of Religious Affairs, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, former special staff of Yaqut, Ishfah Abidal Aziz alias Alex, Commissioner of PT Raudah Eksati Utama and also Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Hajj and Umrah Travel Agents, Asrul Azis Taba, as well as the Director of Operational of Makassar Toraja (Maktour), Ismail Adham.
Jokowi responded to his name being linked to the case. Jokowi did not deny that the ministers' programs, policies, and instructions came from the president.
"In every case, it always connects to my name. Because whatever the work programs of the ministers, they must come from the president's policies, must come from the president's directives and orders," said Jokowi when met at his residence in the Sumber Village, Solo, on Friday, January 30, 2026.
Jokowi stated that he had never given instructions or orders for corruption. "But there is no such thing as an order, there is no such thing as a directive for corruption, there isn't," he said briefly.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2120263/jokowis-name-emerges-in-hajj-quota-corruption-tria