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View all search resultsNew haj ministry formed as House passes law revision
The new ministry, an upgrade from the Haj Organizing Agency (BP Haji), will handle the organization and management of the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, as mandated by the 2019 Haj Law revision.
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Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar (left) shakes hands with House of Representatives Commission VIII chair Marwan Dasopang (center) of the National Awakening Party (PKB), as witnessed by Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas (right), during the legislature plenary session at the Senayan legislative complex in Central Jakarta on Aug. 26, 2025. During the session, lawmakers agreed to pass a revision of the 2019 Haj Law that serves as a legal basis for the establishment of the new Haj and Umrah Ministry. (Antara/Rivan Awal Lingga)
T
he House of Representatives has passed a revision to the Haj Law as a legal basis for the establishment of a new ministry overseeing the haj and umrah (minor haj), as part of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration’s effort to improve pilgrimage services.
Deputy Speaker Cucun Ahmad Syamsurijal of the National Awakening Party (PKB) led a House plenary session on Tuesday where all eight factions approved the bill that would revise the 2019 law. Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar and Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas attended the sessions as representatives of the government.
Among the points in the revision was the decision to elevate the Haj Organizing Agency (BP Haji) into a ministry of its own. The new ministry will take over the haj management, which has been the responsibility of the Religious Affairs Ministry for decades.
Marwan Dasopang of the PKB, who chairs House Commission VIII overseeing religious and social affairs, noted that the new ministry would be a “one-stop service” for the administration of the annual pilgrimage.
“Everything related to the organization of the haj and umrah will be handled by this new ministry,” Marwan said on Tuesday.
Read also: House, govt agree to establish haj ministry
The bill’s passage came on the heels of Friday’s meeting between lawmakers and the government, during which they agreed on a proposal to turn BP Haji into a ministry. The discussion of the bill went on behind closed doors throughout the weekend, before they agreed to bring the draft revision to be passed during Tuesday’s plenary session.
