MUI opposes unofficial marriage

JAKARTA: The Indoneian Ulema Council (MUI) is throwing its weight behind the Religious Affairs Ministry plan to outlaw unofficial marriage (nikah siri), a common practise in the Moslem-majority Indonesia.

"This sort of marriage brings more misfortune than luck, so we support the Religious Affairs Ministry plan," MUI chairman Mar'uf Amin said Sunday.

The MUI also hoped the ban would reduce the incidence of women being mistreated by spouses, he said.

Last week, the Religious Affairs Ministry director general for Islamic propagation Nasaruddin Umar said his office had submitted the religious court bill (banning unofficial marriages) to the State Secretariat for consideration, before could be passed on to the House of Representatives for deliberation.

The bill sets out punishments for those married unofficially, as well as polygamy and contract marriages. - JP