Contract Marriages Are Rampant In Cipanas-Puncak, Regent Immediately Issues Perbup Prohibition

CIANJUR - The government of Cianjur Regency, West Java, will issue a ban on contract marriages to prevent this practice from spreading between foreign tourists and residents, especially in the Cipanas-Puncak area. Contract marriage is considered to be detrimental to women.

"We will soon make a regent's regulation regarding the prohibition of contract marriage, including a general ban for local residents, out of town and foreign tourists," said Cianjur Regent, Herman Suherman in Cianjur, quoted by Antara, Friday, June 4.

He explained that until now the practice of contract marriage still occurs along with the high number of foreign tourists coming to Cianjur, especially Middle Eastern tourists, so the district government issued a ban related to this.

Based on the ulema's fatwa, he added, it does not allow contract marriages because it can demean and harm women.

"We feel guilty if we let this continue to happen, so we are currently working on the perbup and sanctions so that there is a deterrent effect," said Regent Herman.

Meanwhile, the Daily Chair of P2TP2A Cianjur Lidya Indiyani Umar said that throughout 2021 there had been three reports related to contract marriages that harmed women in Cianjur, so his party assessed that there were still contract marriages taking place in Cianjur.

He explained, from the three reports, the woman was pregnant, but was abandoned by her partner because the contract marriage period had expired, so the victim was forced to bear the burden on her own to raise the child in her womb.

"We support the local government regulation that prohibits contract marriage along with strict sanctions so that there will be no more practice of contract marriage in Cianjur, because so far, it is still happening with evidence of the entry of three reports related to contract marriage, where the condition of the woman is pregnant," he said.

This, according to him, in addition to harming the victim, will also have a broad impact on the child's growth and development, including when taking care of population administration because most of the men who contract marriages are foreign tourists.