JAKARTA: New rules on polygamy among male civil servants in Jakarta seek to “impose stricter conditions” on the practice, the capital’s acting governor said on Monday (Jan 20) amid criticism that they legitimise and promote such arrangements.
Acting Governor Teguh Setyabudi also pledged his provincial government would not easily grant the requests of male civil servants who wish to have more than one wife.
Some of the new conditions, issued on Jan 6, include proof of a childless marriage lasting over 10 years, medical proof that the first wife has a physical disability or incurable disease, written permission from the first wife, and court approval to ensure that the civil servant is financially capable of supporting multiple families, according to news outlet Tempo.
An applicant will not be allowed to go ahead with a polygamous marriage if it conflicts with his religious teachings or has the potential to disrupt his official duties.
If the civil servant is found to have violated the rules, he will face disciplinary action, Tempo reported.
“It is meant to tighten the existing rules, to protect them, to protect the wives’ and children’s rights,” Teguh, who signed and approved the regulation, told the media on Monday (Jan 20), as quoted by Kompas.
In his first clarification last Friday, Teguh emphasised that the primary goal of the regulation is to “protect the families of the civil servants”. He said discussions on the regulation began in 2023 and stakeholders included officials from the Justice Ministry.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Bima Arya Sugiarto said the provincial government issued the revised regulation because of the high divorce rate among Jakarta civil servants in 2024, when 116 cases were reported.
“The main point is to tighten the rules on polygamy so that they will not get divorced easily,” he said on Monday.
Indonesia introduced conditions for polygamy in the country in its 1974 Marriage Law, and provisions for male civil servants in 1983. While male civil servants are allowed to have more than one wife, female civil servants are not allowed to be one’s second, third or fourth wife, Kompas reported.
