Rejecting Material Tests To Remove Religious Columns On KTP, MK: The Legal Basis Is Not Clear

Chairman of the Constitutional Court (MK) Suhartoyo read the verdict trial file related to the 2024 Pilkada dispute in the Boven Digoel Regency, North Barito Regency and Papua Province at the Constitutional Court Building, Jakarta, Wednesday (10/9/2025). BETWEEN PHOTOS/Fauzan/nym. (ANTARA PHOTO/FAUZAN)

JAKARTA - The Constitutional Court (MK) stated that the request for a judicial review regarding the abolition of religious columns on identity cards (KTP) and family cards (KK) could not be accepted, because the application was unclear or vague.

Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Suhartoyo in the trial for the pronunciation of Case Decision Number 155/PUU-XXIII/2025 in Jakarta, Monday, said the petitum points proposed by the applicant, Taufik Umar, were unusual and did not have a clear and strong legal basis.

"The applicant in the petitum number 4 and number 5 makes the formulation of the petitum unusual, inconsistent, and has no clear and strong legal basis because there is no description or legal argument that supports it in the series of descriptions in the posita (registered application)," Suhartoyo said.

In addition, the petitum is unclear because the applicant does not explain which laws and regulations need to be changed by the legislators. According to the Constitutional Court, not all laws and regulations are under the authority of the DPR and the government.

Therefore, even though the Court has the authority to try the petition, because the petitioner's petition is unclear or vague, the main petition and other matters are not considered further because there is no relevance.

"Declare that the petitioner's application Number 155 is unacceptable," Suhartoyo said.

It is known, Taufik Umar tested a number of articles in Law Number 23 of 2006 concerning Population Administration (UU Adminduk). In essence, he requested that religious information on KTP and KK be kept secret.

According to Taufik, apart from being counterproductive, religious information on ID cards and families triggered discrimination and violence so that it was contrary to Article 28I paragraph (1) and paragraph (4) of the 1945 Constitution (UUD) of the Republic of Indonesia.

Applicants assess that residents' religious data is sufficient to be stored in electronic ID cards without having to be displayed. According to him, religious columns should be needed as confidential data, such as eye slices and fingerprints.

In this way, religious data can only be accessed by interested parties and has the authority according to their duties and positions.

At the previous trial (3/9), the applicant admitted that he had been a victim of discrimination and was almost a victim of murder in a conflict between religious communities in Poso, Central Sulawesi several years ago.

"The Umar taufic was on its way from Poso to Palu City several times to meet the sweeping ID card, at which time Brother Taufik Umar knew that many had experienced violence and / or even murder because of identification in religious columns, both by sweeping from Muslim circles, as well as from Christians, "said his attorney, Teguh Sugiharto.