Strengthening Hajj Reform Through Responsible Media

The next round of Indonesian Hajj officer recruitment offers more than a staffing process, according to Ahmad Dumyathi Bashori. It also creates an opportunity to improve how the pilgrimage is explained and managed in public.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah opened registration for the 1448 H/2027 M selection process at the end of August. As in previous years, the available positions include the Hajj Media Center, or MCH, which allows journalists and public-relations practitioners to accompany the Hajj operation in the Holy Land.

Bashori links the recruitment to the ministry’s broader institutional role. Established in September 2025, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah was created to strengthen services for pilgrims and make Hajj administration more focused, professional and integrated. President Prabowo Subianto has also placed strong attention on improving Indonesia’s Hajj management, the article says.

The article points to several changes in the 2026 Hajj operation, including faster visa issuance, more orderly distribution of Nusuk, improved services in Arafat and Mina, support facilities for elderly pilgrims and efforts to reduce costs. Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak even proposed that Prabowo receive the title “Father of Indonesian Hajj” for his commitment to major changes in national Hajj administration.

The Media Center Hajj, Bashori argues, deserves a stronger role within that reform. Its journalists help families in Indonesia receive news about pilgrims’ journeys, conditions in the Holy Land, government services and difficulties faced by worshippers. Some also help lost pilgrims, guide elderly people and assist with problems in crowded conditions. That service, the article says, reflects the fact that Hajj is not only a large administrative operation, but also a humanitarian service for millions of worshippers.

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Father of Indonesian Hajj