Fact! The Number Of Penghulu In Indonesia Is Not Proportional To The Number Of Marriages Each Year

Photo via Ministry of Religion

JAKARTA - Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas proposed increasing the number of penghulu formations. This proposal was conveyed by the Minister of Religion, considering that the current number of existing penghulu is not yet ideal to serve marriages which reach two million events per year. The discourse on the addition of the penghulu formation was conveyed by the Minister of Religion in a joint working meeting with Commission VIII of the DPR RI, at the Parliament Building, Jakarta. "The current number of penghulu in Indonesia is 8,978 people, this number is still half of the ideal conditions to serve weddings of two million events every year, spread over 5,901 KUA throughout Indonesia," said the Minister of Religion, Monday, January 24, as reported by the ministry.

The Minister of Religion also said that half of the existing penghulu will enter retirement period as ASN.

"On average, there will be as many as 400 penghulu who retire every year," said the Minister of Religion.

If this matter does not get immediate attention, the Minister of Religion predicts that in the next 10 years, Indonesia will have a shortage of penghulu. Currently, the Ministry of Religion, through the Directorate General of Islamic Guidance, is trying to increase the quota for formation of penghulu candidates, but only 150 people per year are obtained. "The lack of quantity of this penghulu will certainly affect the quality of public services provided to the community, even so we still try our best to provide the best service for the community," he added.

Therefore, the Minister of Religion hopes that Commission VIII of the DPR as a working partner of the Ministry of Religion can provide support to realize the target of fulfilling the quota for penghulu throughout Indonesia. "With this condition, of course, the support from Commission VIII will really help to realize the target of fulfilling the quota of penghulu throughout Indonesia," concluded the Minister of Religion.