T

he Religious Affairs Ministry appointed on Tuesday Anggito Abimanyu as its new director general for haj and umrah (minor haj) affairs.

Anggito replaces Slamet Riyanto in the position.

Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali said that Anggito, a former head of fiscal policy at the Finance Ministry under Sri Mulyani’s leadership, was the right person for the post.

Anggito quit the Finance Ministry after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono declined to inaugurate him as the deputy finance minister.

The presidential office stated Anggito’s lack of seniority to become a deputy minister.

Suryadharma acknowledged that Anggito was a new figure in the haj sector, but he emphasized that his financial background played a more important role in the appointment.

“The directorate general handles about Rp 40 trillion [US$4.22 billion] in haj funds. Anggito has a sturdy financial background and he is used to dealing with large sums of money. That is why the ministry picked him,” he said on Tuesday.

Suryadharma said a team, chaired by the deputy of the ministry’s secretary-general, had conducted an assessment to find Slamet’s replacement. Besides Anggito, Suryadharma added, two other candidates were considered, but he refused to name them.

He dismissed rumors that Anggito’s appointment was a way for the ministry to avoid negative reports about the ministry.

Last February, in a hearing with the House of Representatives’ Commission VIII on religion and social affairs, the Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) deputy chairman, Busyro Muqoddas, said there were irregularities in the use of interest worth Rp 1.7 trillion from the management of haj funding, which was worth Rp 32 trillion.

Busyro added that the massive haj fund had been accumulated from 1.4 million prospective pilgrims by the ministry.

Ade Irawan from Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) said he doubted Anggito’s appointment would provide solutions to the long-standing problems plaguing the directorate general.

“We have heard many reports about haj fund misuse and other problems at the directorate general. Bringing in Anggito will not help to solve them because the real problem lies in the ministry,” he said on Tuesday.

He added that the ministry’s minimum transparency and bureaucracy had created loopholes in haj organization, leaving it prone to abuse and corruption by ministry officials.

Ade added that the ministry should hand over the haj management to an independent body.

“I am afraid that Anggito will not play a significant role in the directorate general,” he added. (tas)