'New religious affairs minister should improve haj management'

Jakarta, NU Online
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) says the Religious Affairs Ministry should improve its haj management following the appointment of a new religious affairs minister to replace former minister Suryadharma Ali, who resigned after being named a suspect in a graft case surrounding the 2012-2013 haj pilgrimage program.<>

“We have identified 48 points of weakness relating to the haj service management in the ministry that could lead to potential fraud. Problems will emerge if the ministry does not make a serious effort to improve the system,” KPK deputy chairman Zulkarnain said, as quoted by kompas.com on Thursday.

He refused to elaborate on what the 48 points were, except to say that the commission had submitted recommendations to the ministry to fix the management of the haj and planned to evaluate the progress of its improvements.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono appointed United Development Party (PPP) deputy chairman Lukman Hakim Saifuddin to replace Suryadharma on Thursday.

Yudhoyono conveyed his decision to the People’s Consultative Assembly deputy speaker in a meeting at Nongsa Point Marina, Batam, Riau Islands, on Thursday.

Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto, Coordinating Economic Minister Chairul Tanjung, State Secretary Sudi Silalahi and Cabinet secretary Dipo Alam accompanied Yudhoyono at the meeting.

The KPK named Suryadharma a graft suspect in relation to irregularities surrounding the 2012-2013 haj pilgrimage program in May and later raided the ministry’s office to find further evidence.

KPK spokesman Johan Budi previously said that Suryadharma, as the official with the highest authority at the ministry, had been charged with malfeasance, enriching himself and others, as well as corporate enrichment under articles 2 and 3 of the 2001 Corruption Law.

Yudhoyono received Suryadharma’s resignation a week after he was named a graft suspect. Suryadharma, who remains PPP chairman, is one of the managers of the Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa election campaign team in the run-up to the July 9 presidential election.

The PPP is one of the members of the coalition supporting Prabowo-Hatta that is led by the Gerindra Party and also includes the Golkar Party and two other Islamic parties, namely the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). The coalition secured 292 or 45.3 percent of the total 560 seats at the House of Representatives during the legislative election on April 9.

Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq