Can Civil Servants Have Four Wives? Check The Rules

Illustration (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Civil servants (PNS) cannot go around polygamy until they have four wives. They are bound by the provisions of Circular Letter Number 48 of 1990 concerning Marriage and Divorce Permits for Civil Servants.

In the SE, the Minister for State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform (MenPAN RB) contained rules for male civil servants who would have more than one wife.

Initially, civil servants were required to obtain prior written permission from the official. Every superior who receives a letter requesting a civil servant permit to marry more than one wife is obliged to give consideration to the official.

"Every official who receives a letter requesting permission to marry more than one wife is obliged to convey to the official via hierarchical channels no later than three months from the date he received the letter requesting permission," wrote SE 48/1990, quoted by VOI on March 23.

Then, each official must make a decision no later than three months from the date he receives the letter of request.

If within the stipulated time the official does not make a decision which does not grant or does not reject the request for a civil servant permit with more than one wife, then the official is deemed to have rejected the permit request.

"If it is the negligence of the official, then the official concerned will be subject to disciplinary action," said SE.

Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform (MenPAN RB) Tjahjo Kumolo spoke about permitting civil servants to have more than one wife.

He said, even if there are state civil servants who wish to remarry or have more than one wife, they must obtain written permission from both parties. The first is the consent of the first wife and the second is from the boss.

If, in the future, there is a complaint that there is no permission from the first wife, of course this will have repercussions for the ASN's career.

"If you get married without the permission of the legal wife and permission from the leadership, it is clear that it is a violation. There will definitely be sanctions. The sanctions can be put off-job. If they are severe, of course there will be harsher sanctions," he said.

Even now, it is still the same, although it is more lenient as long as there is an agreement between the two parties as he has mentioned. However, if caught remarrying without permission from the wife and leadership, then there are complaints, for example from a legal wife, the ASN can be sanctioned.

"ASN polygamy cases based on complaints from wives are still given non-job sanctions, but not dismissed. Because in deciding family matters, we don't want to just say it, don't want complaints from friends. There must be evidence, it must be the husband's permission or vice versa," he explained. Tjahjo.

He also said that any complaints from ASN remarrying without the permission of the first wife would be processed by the Ministry of Administrative Reform and Bureaucratic Reform together with the National Civil Service Agency (BKN) and the Ministry of Law and Human Rights.

"There will be a hearing to decide the case of ASN violation," he concluded.