Official at North Bekasi KUA Examined and Sanctioned After Extorting Illegal Fees

Senior Official at the North Bekasi KUA, Haerul Saleh, explained that the official who frequently demanded illegal levies (pungli) from prospective brides and grooms has undergone an examination process by the Ministry of Religious Affairs. “The individual in question has been followed up by our leadership and an examination or BAP has been conducted,” he told Kompas.com on Friday (24/4/2026). As a form of enforcement, the official has been imposed with a sanction in the form of a prohibition on handling marriages for a period of time. He also emphasised that all marriage services have official fee provisions that must be adhered to. According to him, marriage registration at the KUA incurs no fee if conducted at the office during working days and hours. Meanwhile, a fee of Rp 600,000 applies only for conducting the marriage contract outside the office or outside working hours, which is paid directly to the state through the Ministry of Religious Affairs. “Outside of those provisions, there are no other fees,” he stressed. He hopes that the public understands that the violation has been addressed and will not occur again in the North Bekasi KUA environment. Previously, allegations of illegal levy practices (pungli) at the North Bekasi KUA in Bekasi City emerged on social media and drew public attention. In the posts, it was also mentioned that residents were asked to provide additional money by the official with varying amounts. However, according to the rules, marriage registration services at the KUA are free of charge if carried out at the KUA office during working days and hours. One resident, Fadhil (30), claimed to have experienced this when handling his marriage registration at the North Bekasi KUA in October 2025. Fadhil recounted that initially he faced issues with incomplete documents and was asked to correct them. After all requirements were declared complete, Fadhil said he was asked for additional money.