Ministry of Religious Affairs: Penghulu's duties extend beyond solemnising marriages

Jakarta - The Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) has stated that the duties of a penghulu are not limited to the functions of registration and solemnising marriage contracts, but also include a role in family education, strengthening household resilience, social communication, and serving as a bridge for state services to the community. “The Office of Religious Affairs (KUA) serves as a bridge between the government and the community, a bridge with community elites, and a bridge for the interests of the community. The state hopes that this function will continue to be borne by the KUA,” said the Director of KUA and Sakinah Family Development, Ahmad Zayadi, in a statement in Jakarta on Wednesday. He noted that the KUA holds a strategic position because it is present directly within the community through penghulu, counsellors, and other service officers. This proximity allows the KUA to act as a liaison between government policy and the real needs of the community. “The KUA becomes a melting pot, a place where all affairs meet. Through its service actors, the KUA engages directly with the community,” he said. Zayadi considered the penghulu to be an important actor in supporting the family development agenda. This is because penghulu interact directly with prospective brides and grooms, families, and the community from the outset. Meanwhile, the Head of the Sub-directorate of Penghulu Development at Kemenag, Zudi Rahmanto, highlighted the importance of cross-cultural communication skills for penghulu. According to him, the trend of mixed marriages beginning to occur in various regions requires penghulu to possess broader communication skills. “We are reading data that the trend of mixed marriages is not only happening in big cities, but also in the regions. Thus, the context of cross-cultural communication is gaining momentum,” he said. Zudi also encouraged penghulu to strengthen digital literacy and information technology. He believes the work of penghulu needs to be better known to the public so that the contribution of the KUA in serving the community and family development becomes more visible. “Today the public needs to know what the penghulu are doing. Penghulu must speak up, this is us, penghulu with maximum capacity,” he said. This programme aligns with the Minister of Religious Affairs’ directive in the Impactful Kemenag Asta Protas, particularly the strengthening of impactful religious services and the digitalisation of governance. “Through strengthening the capacity of the penghulu, KUA services are expected to be more adaptive, professional, and able to provide direct benefits to the community,” he said.