Dyaning Pangestika and Yulia Savitri, Jakarta – The Religious Affairs Ministry has suspended marriage registration for new applicants as of Wednesday.
This policy has been met with disappointment from couples planning to wed in the near future, such as Andhiko, a 37-year-old resident of Palembang, South Sumatra.
He and his fiancee had been waiting for June to arrive, as they had planned to exchange vows that month. However, they were forced to postpone their plans after the ministry suspended marriage registration due to the outbreak.
"I am very disappointed. We have completed the forms, but the registration service is suspended indefinitely," said Andhiko. The couple has moved their wedding to August.
The South Sumatra office of the Religious Affairs Ministry said the policy was based on a circular issued by the ministry's Muslim Community Guidance Directorate General on Thursday. He said the policy would be temporary – to curb the transmission of COVID-19.
"Once the situation has calmed down, our services regarding marriage registration, including the course for future brides and the wedding vow exchange ceremony, will be available as usual," office spokesman Saefudin said.
For couples who had registered before April, the wedding vow exchange ceremony could be held only at the local religious affairs office (KUA) and could be attended by no more than 10 people, he added.
In a statement issued on Friday, the ministry's Muslim community guidance representative Kamaruddin Amin said couples could still submit their marriage applications online through the website simkah.kemenag.go.id. However, their vow exchange ceremonies would not be held until after the outbreak abated.
"We will reject [new] requests for wedding vow exchange ceremony permits for now," Kamaruddin said.
There are 6,399 couples scheduled to hold vow exchange ceremonies this month. "Exchanging vows through online platforms is not allowed," said Kamaruddin.
Attendees, couples and officiants have been urged to wash their hands with soap and wear face masks and gloves during the ceremony.