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Analysis: Muhaimin goes full throttle against NU leader Yahya
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Pilgrims perform the tawaf al-Ifada, a mandatory circumambulation around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the climax of the annual haj at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca, on Aug. 11, 2019. (AFP/Fethi Belaid)
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s the House of Representatives ends its term, its special committee is out to conclude an investigation into alleged haj quota misallocation involving the Religious Affairs Ministry. Considering that such misallocation appears to happen almost every year and go unresolved, the House’s all-out efforts to uncover the irregularities this time around may be fraught with political motives.
Deputy House Speaker Muhaimin Iskandar, who also chairs the National Awakening Party (PKB), has assigned Nusron Wahid, a Golkar Party politician, to lead the House’s special committee.
The alleged misallocation of the haj quota has effected hundreds, if not thousands of people who have been waiting years for their chance to perform the pilgrimage, which is mandatory in Islam. The special committee is also looking for criminal elements within the irregularities.
Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, a former PKB lawmaker, said he was ready to confront the allegations. Nevertheless, he has already failed twice to turn up for a hearing with the special committee, saying he did not receive the invitation letter.
Several key officials in the haj management have also skipped the special committee’s questioning sessions, due to their overseas assignments in Saudi Arabia. A member of the special committee accused the officials of visiting Saudi Arabia to destroy evidence of the offense.
After a number of hearings and questioning sessions in the House, the special committee members went to Saudi Arabia from Sept. 11 to 14 for a field investigation before concluding their mission later this month, just before the current House ends its term on Sept. 30.
Many believe the investigation is closely related to the personal feud between Muhaimin on one side, and Yaqut and his brother Yahya Cholil Staquf, the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) chairman, on the other side.
