Chairman of Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), Marwan Dasopang, put forward a strategic proposal regarding the quality improvement of the Hajj pilgrimage organization. He stressed the need for health coaching and guidance for prospective pilgrims starting from the moment they are designated as Hajj participants, in order to meet the standard of istitha'ah or required health capability.
This statement was delivered following the National Coordination Meeting for the Evaluation of the 1447H/2026 Hajj Pilgrimage Organization at the Hajj Dormitory, Pondok Gede, Bekasi. According to Marwan, this policy should ideally be implemented one year before departure so prospective pilgrims have sufficient time to monitor and improve their physical condition independently.
Furthermore, Marwan explained that this preventive measure aims to minimize pilgrims' disappointment if they fail to meet health qualifications later on. However, he also highlighted the infrastructure limitations of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (Kemenhaj) in monitoring pilgrims' health comprehensively from the initial designation. Therefore, an in-depth study regarding potential collaboration with other agencies or entities is necessary.
Beyond health issues, significant challenges also loom over Hajj financing. Marwan acknowledged the potential increase in the Cost of Organizing the Hajj Pilgrimage (BPIH), driven by price fluctuations in the air transportation sector as well as various other service components that are difficult for the government to intervene in.
Responding to this, the Secretary-General of Kemenhaj, Teguh Dwi Nugroho, stated that the results of this evaluation will serve as a primary benchmark to improve the Hajj service ecosystem in the future. His party is committed to delivering a more adaptive, professional, and humane organizational system to provide the best service for all Indonesian Hajj pilgrims in the upcoming season.
