HNW Asks Minister Of Religion To Focus On Empowering KUA Instead Of Being A Marriage Place For All Religions

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairperson of the MPR Hidayat Nur Wahid (HNW) urged the Minister of Religion, Yaqut, to focus more on optimizing the role of the Office of Religious Affairs (KUA) and maximizing the role and function of religious extension workers, including matters of consular consultation.

The pressure is Hidayat Nur Wahid's response to Yaqut's proposal to make KUA a place for recording marriages for all religions in the country.

"It should be, in order to focus on finding solutions to problems that are the domain of the Director General of Islamic Community Guidance, instead of directing to take care of other religions, such as making the KUA a place for recording religious marriages other than Islam as well. In fact, the KUA is an institution under the Director General of Islamic Community Guidance. This is not in line with the rules for the management of the Ministry of Religion organization which is issued by the Ministry of Religion itself," Hidayat said in a written statement reported by ANTARA, Monday, February 26.

Hidayat explained that based on the Regulation of the Minister of Religion Number 34 of 2016, KUA at the sub-district level is a technical implementing unit of the Ministry of Religion that is responsible and under the Directorate General (Ditjen) of Islamic Community Guidance (Bimas).

Hidayat also questioned Yaqut's proposal regarding KUA to take care of the marriage registration of all religions was also conveyed at the work meeting of the Directorate General of Islamic Community Guidance.

"Unfortunately, in a working meeting with Bimas Islam, which should prioritize discussing improving services for the Islamic community, it is instead used to discuss what is not the scope of duty and responsibility (Ditjen) for Islamic Community Guidance," he said.

He also assessed that the proposal regarding the marriage registration of all religions in the KUA was also not in accordance with the KUA historical philosophy in Indonesia.

In addition, continued Hidayat, this is also not in line with the applicable regulations, including the mandate of the State Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia in1945 and can actually cause social and psychological problems among non-Muslims because it can cause procedural inefficiency.

"Moreover, the matter of making KUA a marriage registration place for all religions, which has a broad impact and involves all religious communities, has never been discussed with Commission VIII of the DPR RI; while many residents we met during the recess felt restless and rejected the program plan submitted by the Minister of Religion (Yaqut)," he explained.

Apart from being irrelevant, continued Hidayat, the policy will further burden the KUA, most of which experience a shortage of human resources (HR) and do not have their own offices.

He also considered that the proposal would be burdensome for non-Muslims who would get married, because KUA is synonymous with Muslim citizens.

Therefore, continued Hidayat, this will cause psychological and ideological burdens for non-Muslims because additional procedures will occur.

"It is more beneficial if Menaag cancels its intention to make the KUA also a place to record the marriage of all religions, and more benefit if it strengthens the role and function of the KUA to be part of the solution to the problem of deviation from Islamic teachings that occur in society," said Hidayat Nur Wahid.