Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs Muhadjir Effendy expressed his full support for the Religious Affairs Ministry's plan on operating religious affairs offices (KUAs) as public service centers not only for Muslims.

In Indonesia, so far, KUAs have been functioning as offices that provide religious affairs services, including marriage registrations, exclusively to Muslims.

"Mr. Religious Affairs Minister has explained the plan, and I support it. It will be better if adherents of all religions have access to religious affairs services in a single office," he remarked in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Effendy noted that marriage ceremonies taking place in KUAs would be carried out according to the rules of each religion in Indonesia while suggesting that KUAs should provide a proper place for holding reception parties.

"In several regions, I have found that some KUAs already have halls (for wedding parties) at the side of the offices' building. I think that this will make things more practical and simpler," he pointed out.

Earlier, on Friday (February 23), Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas revealed the government's plan to transform KUAs into more inclusive places that not only cater to the needs of Muslims but also to adherents of other religions.

"Since the beginning, we have agreed to make KUAs as the centers of religious affairs services for all religions. People from different religions will be able to hold marriage ceremonies in KUAs,” he remarked in Jakarta.

The minister explained that by expanding the function of KUAs to encompass marriage registrations for all religions, the government will be able to better record and integrate all data on marriages and divorces.

"So far, our non-Muslim brothers and sisters have been registering their marriages in civil registration offices, whereas this matter is supposed to be managed by the Religious Affairs Ministry," he pointed out.

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Translator: Asep F, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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