Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Ministry of Religious Affairs has affirmed that there is no policy whatsoever, which bans marriages performed with the presence of marriage officiants outside a religious affairs office (KUA) on weekdays, weekends, or holidays.
This statement was made by the ministry’s spokesperson, Anna Hasbie, in response to misleading narratives circulated on social media platforms about the Religious Affairs Ministerial Regulation No 22 of 2024, claimed to have disallowed people to perform a marriage outside weekdays.
“We would like to clarify that the regulation does not hinder couples from performing their marriages outside a KUA on weekdays or holidays,” she stated in Jakarta on Sunday.
Hasbie noted that essentially, a KUA only accommodates couples seeking to perform and register their marriages from Monday until Friday during working hours. Beyond that period, officials can only facilitate marriages outside the office.
“It should be noted that these days off are only applied to KUAs, not the marriage registrars,” she pointed out.
She further remarked that marriage registration services have been governed by regulations that allow anyone to get married legally at the location they desire, be it at home, house of worship, or others.
Hasbie affirmed that the Ministry of Religious Affairs is committed to providing citizens with accessible and convenient marriage registration services.
“I hope (this clarification) can assuage the concerns of people planning to get married outside a KUA in sub-district. We are committed to always giving the best services in the registration of marriages,” she said.
She also stated that her side would intensify dissemination of the Religious Affairs Minister’s Regulation No 22 of 2024 concerning marriage registration, preventing it from being misinterpreted widely by members of the public.
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Translator: Asep F, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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