PORTALJABAR, GARUT REGENCY - Garut Regent Abdusy Syakur Amin, appreciated the initiative of the Garut District Attorney's Office (Kejari) which cares about the civil rights of the community by holding a Marriage Confirmation Hearing.

A total of 19 couples in Garut are now officially registered with the state after the trial process held in the R Soeprapto Hall of the Garut District Attorney's Office, Wednesday (22/10/2025).

This event was also attended by the Deputy Regent (Wabup) of Garut Putri Karlina, Head of the Garut District Attorney's Office Helena Octavianne, Head of the Garut Regency Ministry of Religion Office Saepulloh, and Head of the Garut Regency Religious Court Ayip.

In his remarks, Syakur expressed his appreciation for this initiative. He mentioned two groups of people in Garut who lack legal marriage registration: underage couples, a phenomenon still prevalent, and couples who face limitations in access to their territory or time to officially register with the state.

"This very simple thing seems simple, but it also impacts other things, civil rights, and other rights. This reminds us that many of our brothers and sisters still need encouragement and assistance," he said.

Responding to the problem of underage marriage, Syakur emphasized the importance of education to prevent underage marriage because it will have multidimensional impacts.

"First, there's the problem of poverty. Then there's the issue of divorce, which is still relatively high in Garut, stunting, and education and economic issues. These are some of the issues that will become the root causes of various problems," he said.

Garut Deputy Regent Putri Karlina added that the issue of unregistered marriages is a significant issue in Garut, especially in remote areas. As a woman, she expressed her concern about preventing underage marriage.

"The problem of poverty shouldn't be solved through marriage; instead, it solves problems with problems. That's certainly the case for most (economic) issues, so they might be confused about whether to continue their studies, so their alternative is marriage. That's the mindset we're still seeing," he said.

He emphasized the need for intervention through developing access to information to create a more modern society.

Head of the Garut District Attorney's Office, Helena Octavianne, explained that the Marriage Confirmation activity, which was held to coincide with Santri Day, was a form of civil rights protection for 19 couples from Garut who had previously only married in a religious manner.

"This is where the prosecutor's office comes into the community. This protects the civil rights of Garut residents, ensuring they receive what they deserve, such as family cards, ID cards, and social assistance. They won't be confused because they've received legal clarity," he said.

Helena said the ages of the confirmed couples varied, from the young (21 years old) to the oldest (almost 50-60 years old).

Saepulloh, Head of the Garut Regency Ministry of Religious Affairs Office, expressed his appreciation for the synergy between the agencies that enabled the 19 couples to quickly obtain their marriage certificates. He hopes similar activities can continue on a regular basis.

"There are likely still many (who haven't registered) and hopefully, we, along with the regional government and other vertical agencies, including the Ministry of Religion and the Chief Justice, will be present to resolve the problem," he said.

The Head of the Garut Regency Religious Court, Ayip, explained that Isbat Nikah is an effort by the Religious Court to provide legal certainty and protection for the civil rights of the community.

"Because it's not just the parties involved, but also their children, who then have difficulty obtaining protection and other civil rights," he said.

Although marriage confirmation (Isbat Nikah) is a solution, the Religious Courts are still collaborating with the Ministry of Religious Affairs to educate and raise awareness that underhand marriages are a violation of state law. (Garut Regency Communications and Information Office/UPI)