Kawin Campur Bride Prices
Feb 21st, 2010, in News, by Patung
Foreign men marrying Indonesian women and a $50,000 security guarantee.
The initial draft of a bill on religious marriage law to be put forward to the parliament this year is said by some to contain a clause that would require foreign (Muslim) men wishing to marry Indonesian (Muslim) women to make a deposit of 500 million rupiah (about $50,000) into a sharia bank account as a guarantee, in case they later desert their wives and any resultant children and return to their home countries.
The draft bill, which is called in its full glory Rancangan Undang-undang (RUU) Hukum Materiil Peradilan Agama Bidang Perkawinan, but is sometimes mentioned in the media as RUU Nikah Siri, RUU Peradilan Agama, or RUU Perkawinan, is meant to be a clarification and strengthening of the original Marriage Act of 1974.
The bill, in general terms, says men, foreign or Indonesian, are required to provide monetary support to estranged wives until divorce papers are finalised, and to any children under the age of 21. The $50,000 dollar guarantee is an attempt to prevent foreign men from avoiding these obligations by leaving the country.
Foreign women wishing to marry Indonesian men will not be required to make similar arrangements, however like men they are expected to get permission from their countries of origin to marry.
Minister of Religion Suryadharma Ali, whose office is responsible for having prepared the draft, says the Department of Religion had heard of a number of cases in Jepara, Central Java, where foreign furniture businessmen had arranged to acquire Indonesian brides, and once their dealings in the town were done deserted their local wives. detiknews
Opinions
Actress Ratu Felisha, married to Dutchman Jules Korsten, is one who is supportive of the idea, saying that Indonesian women will thereby be protected in mixed marriages, although she worries that some jobless women might deliberately seek out foreign men to woo, in order to have access to the money later. detikhot
Meanwhile Julia Perez, who was once married to Spaniard Damian Perez but now gets around with Argentinian Gaston Castano, is vociferously opposed, imploring the government to reconsider the plan. solopos
Another actress, the gorgeous Feby Febiola, who is married to somebody called Bruce Deltail from France, says the impression given is that the government is selling Indonesian women, at the right price, and further that not all bules in Indonesia have that sort of money lying around.
Another controversial proposal in the bill includes sanctions of up to six months imprisonment for Muslims carrying out nikah siri informal marriages, which are not later registered with the Department of Religion. This aspect of the bill has excited the most controversy, which has caused Minister of Religion Suryadharma Ali to state that it is only a draft, and will likely be revised before being put to parliament.
174 Comments on “Kawin Campur Bride Prices”
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bs says:
This is sad news for the family of Indonesian brides. Couples will just marry abroad, where these crazy laws can’t be enforced.
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Minister of religion drafting the law for civil marriage?
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Minister of religion drafting the law for civil marriage?
That’s the thing, this is a bill for religious law which in terms of marriage law is only applicable to Muslims. Then there’s the detail that the 500 million is to go into a sharia bank. So…but if it is only applicable to Muslim marriages then that would be peculiar…, and any chaps out there considering getting themselves tied down and miserable (sorry bad mood) ought to maybe go to Bali or Manado or something to meet their special someone…..
In general this bill is a very murky thing and I don’t think anyone has seen a full copy of it…
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venna says:
Patung, probably you can get the copy from Komnas Perempuan.
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rgustina says:
Another actress, the gorgeous Feby Febiola, who is married to somebody called Bruce Deltail from France, says the impression given is that the government is selling Indonesian women, at the right price
i have to say that i agree with this opinion, as an Indonesian woman i cannot help but feeling like being sold by our own government. in my opinion what indonesian woman need is not a “fine” for a man either bule or not for leaving their family but it is necessary to make a more straight and clear regulation about marriage law and what happen to one family after divorce, cause i still see a lot of women struggling to become the head of family after divorce and no clear legal law about the punishment for the man that leave their family either divorce or not and not giving support to them.
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Oigal says:
In short hand is called PIMPING..
Do this mob ever run short of scams for a quick buckThe inference that Indonesia Men never run out of their wives therefore no protection is required is bizarre as well. I wonder what percentage of women currently forced to work as “working girls” do so after being abandoned by their spouses. Sadly they are faced with no effective assitance provided by the government and prejudice from terminally ignorant in the villages.
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shawty says:
Actress Julia Perez, who was once married to Dutchman Jules Korsten
not Julia Perez but Ratu Felisha
Couples will just marry abroad
that’s for sure
Oh no the English teachers type can’t afford this (sadly laugh)
however I heard this is just draft so lets see how will they finalize this
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ET says:
That’s the thing, this is a bill for religious law which in terms of marriage law is only applicable to Muslims.
I wonder if the costs for sunat will be included in the 500 million.
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Nay says:
In short hand is called PIMPING..
Even a typical marriage dowry in Indonesia is pimping actually.
The parents try and sell their daughter off while she still is young and “valuable” to get a return on their “investment.” -
To me it seems like this bill is another slick way to legalize mail-order brides. Might as well put the price tag on our Indonesian ID card. Am so disgusted by this!
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In short hand is called PIMPING..
Even a typical marriage dowry in Indonesia is pimping actually
BIG PIMPIN’
You know I thug ’em, hug ’em, love ’em, leave ’em
Cause I don’t f*ckin’ need ’em
Take ’em out the hood
Keep ’em looking good
But I don’t f*ckin’ feed em -
Chris says:
I read somewhere that the $US50 000 payment is similar to a system already in place in Egypt. Can anyone clarify if this is true? And if so, what have the effects been?
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timdog says:
When this was previously mentioned I got all outraged about it, and I still am.
However, on close inspection, and especially considering the point highlighted by Pak Patung above about the Sharia aspect, it does seem that what they had in mind when cooking up this absurdity, was more likely to be gentlemen of the Arab persuasion waddling around the Puncak vicinity, rather than debauched English teachers and oily expats.
Dunno if that changes the outlook for all y’all.
According to reports to day it’s not clear if the bride deposit bit is still even in the bill…. -
Righteous Dude,
Yeah I read about the same system in Egypt but when I use Mas Google here’s what I found from US Embassy website in Cairo. -
According to reports to day it’s not clear if the bride deposit bit is still even in the bill…
This isn’t the first time this card has been played and you can bet it will keep popping up, if only to show off their power and control over one of their major ‘colonial export’ products.
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BrotherMouzone says:
ANTARA seems fairly sure that the clause is still in the RUU; They reported yesterday that
The RUU also deals with mixed marriages (between citizens of two different countries). Pasal 142 Ayat 3 says that the prospective husband with a foreign nationality has to pay a guarantee to his fiancée through a Syariah bank of 500 million rupiah.
Could we be witnessing the birth of the Singapore wedding run?
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One could argue that there may be reasons for a ‘reasonable’ bride deposit to avoid trafficking of women and hidden prostitution but the fact that this deposit has to be made to a syariah bank smells fishy. Is this what is left of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika and Pancasila? Is this the first step to make syariah banking compulsory for all financial transactions in Indonesia? Since when has Indonesia become a muslim state à la Iran and Saudi Arabia?
And one could also ask for what purposes these deposits will be used or to finance what. -
ET, exactly! How bout the interests that will be accumulated over the years? Fishy alright! To protect Indonesian women my arse! More like to protect ‘their own’ future for me.
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Not to mention who in their right mind would have faith enough to trust any Indonesian Government and its legal system with that kind of money. $50,000 is one hell of pimp fee anyway, how many newly wed couples have that kind of spare cash.
Nearly all “multi-national” agreements in Indonesia cite Singapore (or similiar) as point of arbitration should a dispute arise. I wonder why that is?
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Oh it just crossed my mind that maybe just as things always happen here, there will be ‘windows of bargaining opportunity’ open by whoever is in-charge. Just like I was told to ‘come down and we can discuss your late fee’ when I called one of the civil register office here to register my marriage. *eyes rolling*
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Since when has Indonesia become a muslim state à la Iran and Saudi Arabia?
I don’t know why Indonesia kowtows so strongly to Arab cultural imperialism, cause the Saudis treat the Indonesians like garbage. If Indonesia grew a pair, they’d tell the Saudi’s and their extremist Islam where to get off.
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syonan says:
Here we go again with this issue of a US$50,000 (Rp 500 million) security bond and which is against the teachings of Islam. This is Hukum Manusia and not Hukum Allah! It is already clear cut that the government is also in the trade of selling its women bad enough there are numerous prostitution dens in the country of which a solution must be found to rid of it and which is giving Indonesia a bad name and further more identifying Indonesian women as cheap. The ulamas in Indonesia are a bunch of useless people who are only topengs and not religiously incline at all. What about those foreign Muslim men already married and having children and have been married for many, many years, must they also put down a deposit?
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What about those foreign Muslim men already married and having children and have been married for many, many years, must they also put down a deposit?
______________________________It applies only for foreign people who want to marry an Indonesian after the new law is established, not for those who already married before this. But if they also have to do this, just move back to their country for a while and remarry. It’s way cheaper. And put the rest of their money into their own’s bank account or use it for whatever the hell they want.
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Look at the explanation, guys….
_________
Ayat (3)
Ketentuan mengenai pembebanan uang jaminan terhadap calon suami warga negara asing dimaksudkan untuk melin¬dungi hak-hak isteri dan anak-anak, apabila suami menelantarkan, tidak memberi nafkah, meninggalkan Indo¬nesia secara diam-diam, murtad, menceraikan dan lain-lain yang merugikan kepentingan isteri dan anak-anak yang di¬lahirkan dari perkawinan tersebut. Uang jaminan tersebut menjadi hak isteri berdasarkan penetapan Pengadilan atas permohonan eksekusi isteri. Apabila kehidupan perkawinan berjalan secara wajar dan baik selama 10 tahun maka uang jaminan tersebut dapat diminta oleh kedua belah pihak se¬bagai harta bersama.
________So after 10 years, if there’s no trouble between the mixed spouse, no fighting, no arguing, no throwing pans everywhere and both are happy, they can get their money back. Of course, the government will keep its interests.
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Nay:
If Indonesia grew a pair, they’d tell the Saudi’s and their extremist Islam where to get off.
As I attempted to point out above, from several comments from lawmakers in the media, I get the distinct impression that what many of them have in mind when promoting this bill, is THOSE FAT SAUDI GENTLEMEN WHO INSTALL AN INDONESIAN “WIFE” IN A VILLA SOMEWHERE SOUTH OF JAKARTA, rather than infidel bules marrying the maid and then running off to their next posting…Doesn’t make the whole idea any less offensive, but easy on the shriek-shriek-the-taliban-are-coming aspect of the issue; I don’t think it exists…
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So after 10 years, if there’s no trouble between the mixed spouse, no fighting, no arguing, no throwing pans everywhere and both are happy, they can get their money back
Hands up who believes that will occur without fees, charges if at all. Anyone who has had a tax refund fue will know how the system works. Why would they get to keep the interest?
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I dunno about you guys but the idea of a foreigner having $50,000 just lying around that can be used to pay a PIMPING Fee is a bit much. I always thought I was doing ok but obviously I must be more miskin than I thought.
THOSE FAT SAUDI GENTLEMEN WHO INSTALL AN INDONESIAN “WIFE” IN A VILLA SOMEWHERE SOUTH OF JAKARTA………..then running off to their next posting…
Hang On Timdog. Wasn’t the idea above recommended by very recent ex Vice President as a way to boost Indonesian Tourism? I could be wrong but think even IM had a couple of posts on it.
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venna said
Ayat (3)
Ketentuan mengenai pembebanan uang jaminan terhadap calon suami warga negara asing dimaksudkan untuk melin¬dungi hak-hak isteri dan anak-anak, apabila suami menelantarkan, tidak memberi nafkah, meninggalkan Indo¬nesia secara diam-diam, murtad, menceraikan dan lain-lain yang merugikan kepentingan isteri dan anak-anak yang di¬lahirkan dari perkawinan tersebut.Has everybody noticed the word murtad, the muslim term for apostasy?
This can only mean
1° that every calon suami (wedding candidate) is supposed to become a muslim, hence the obligation to make the deposit in a syariah bank,
2° that if he changes his mind and leaves islam the money will probably be confiscated (by whom and for whose benefit?) because otherwise if the man involved hasn’t left his wife the money would be again at his disposal.
Dakwah à la Indonesia.
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Yes the murtad bit is very peculiar, although should be pointed out that text is from the 2008 draft, it’s not clear that it’s in the current one.
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Well, that leaves us no other choice than ‘love them and leave them’.