Pilgrimage, Piety, and Politics: “Haji” Presidents in Indonesia

Almost all of Indonesia’s presidential and vice-presidential hopefuls are performing the Hajj this year.  They are part of the 229,000 Indonesian pilgrims congregating in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

While the candidates may be in Mecca for genuine spiritual reasons or affairs of the state, the Hajj can indirectly boost candidates’ symbolic and political capital, which is still lacking among some. The pilgrimage, however, is unlikely to bag them an outright victory at the polls; but for some, the journey to the holy land only affirms their pious Muslim image to the electorate.

This will be the last Hajj season before the Indonesian presidential and legislative election that will be held in February 2024. In the past, several Indonesian politicians performed the Umrah (minor Hajj) to Mecca just before an election. For example, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) did the Umrah before the 2014 and 2019 elections and subsequently won them. By contrast, his rival Prabowo Subianto performed the Umrah in 2018 but lost the 2019 polls. There is no direct correlation between Umrah and Jokowi’s victories, but it did help the president dispel the fake news and smear campaign levelled against him. In 2014, there were rumours that he was not a Muslim, and in 2019 he was accused of being anti-Muslim.

Unlike the Hajj, the Umrah can be performed at any time of the year. In this regard, the Hajj wields greater significance than the Umrah. The norm in Indonesia is that men who have completed the Hajj pilgrimage will be given the title “haji” before their name and “Hajjah” for women, which is not accorded to Umrah pilgrims. Upon their return to their homeland, they also become symbols of righteousness, purity, and the “chosen” people in God’s house, or Kaaba.

Presidential candidate Anies Baswedan is performing the Hajj this year. He describes it as “a crucial spiritual journey” for him and “a starting point before a bigger struggle to come”. He adds that “the struggle is not about him or his family but concerning the whole nation, especially, the weak.” But given Anies’ image as a pious Muslim leader, he might not necessarily gain more support from the Islamic camp. While he is backed by the Islamist Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) party, Anies remains estranged from Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). He was never associated with Indonesia’s largest Muslim organisation. Past elections have demonstrated that NU’s backing is key to winning elections.

Sandiaga Uno, a vice-presidential hopeful, is also in Mecca. He did his first Hajj pilgrimage in 1998. Like Anies, the Hajj should boost his Muslim appeal, but his pilgrimage might not sway much of NU’s support as he does not come from its ranks. Sandiaga recently made a strategic political move by switching from the nationalist Gerindra party to the Islamic PPP (United Development Party). This change of political allegiance signals that Sandiaga will likely appeal to the Muslim masses. Sandiaga shared that his pilgrimage this time was by chance, as the plan was for him to attend the Grand Hajj Symposium in Jeddah organised by the Saudi government on 20 June. He is currently the minister of tourism and creative economy. A spokesperson told the press that Sandiaga would pray for a better Indonesia in front of the Kaaba. Among the presidential and vice-presidential candidates, only Sandiaga is performing the Hajj for the second time.

The test, however, is whether they return to Indonesia with the true spirit of the Hajj, which is to downplay their wealth, status, economic class, and race and serve the common people honestly, equally, and without fear or favour. This is something that can be ascertained by flesh and blood voters.

Apart from Anies and Sandi, Ganjar Pranowo from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is also performing the Hajj pilgrimage this year. He will be joined by Puan Maharani and her family. Puan Maharani is the daughter of Megawati Sukarnoputri, former Indonesian president, daughter of Indonesia’s founding president Sukarno and PDI-P chair. Ganjar is behind his opponents on Islamic appeal and credentials. Performing the Hajj provides him with an opportunity to demonstrate his commitment to the Islamic faith, but on its own, it does not necessarily secure his victory in the polls. The Hajj boosts his image, but ultimately, he needs to secure an endorsement from Islamic parties and organisations such as NU.

Prabowo Subianto from the Gerindra party is a presidential candidate not performing the Hajj ritual this year. In 1991, he performed the ritual with the late President Suharto, receiving comprehensive coverage on national television. Instead, Gerindra chairman Sufmi Dasco Ahmad is reportedly heading to Mecca. Compared to his rivals, Prabowo has garnered a steady support base through contesting in the previous two elections. Whether he performs the Hajj this year will unlikely change the people’s perceptions of his religiosity overnight; it may even have the reverse effect that he is doing it out of political expediency.

Ultimately, only the Divine can see the intentions of presidential and vice-presidential hopefuls when they perform Islam’s fifth pillar. Performing the Hajj does not guarantee candidates’ clear victory or even put them ahead of their opponents since gaining support from dominant Islamic organisations such as NU remains crucial. The test, however, is whether they return to Indonesia with the true spirit of the Hajj, which is to downplay their wealth, status, economic class, and race and serve the common people honestly, equally, and without fear or favour. This is something that can be ascertained by flesh and blood voters.

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