By WU VUIDE
KOTA KINABALU: The Consulate General of Indonesia in Kota Kinabalu conducted its second marriage for protection (Menikum) programme of the year from 18 to 21 November at its premises in Sembulan.
The programme provides legal certainty for the marital and child status of Indonesian citizens residing in Sabah.
A total of 350 participants took part in this session, comprising 150 Muslim couples undergoing marriage legalisation and 25 non-Muslim couples completing civil marriage validation.
Participants came from various plantation areas and districts within the consulate’s jurisdiction.
Due to strong public interest, the consulate implemented a quota system to maintain efficiency and ensure orderly proceedings.
The programme, introduced in 2011, has received highly positive responses from the Indonesian community.
As a fully integrated service, participants receive all essential civil documents through a single process.
These include marriage legalisation for Muslim couples, civil marriage validation for non-Muslim couples, issuance of the single identity number (NIT) by the Home Affairs Ministry, Marriage Books by the Religious Affairs Ministry and birth registration certificates issued by the consulate.
This integrated model significantly expedites access to key family documents such as passports, national identity cards, family cards, and children’s birth certificates, which were previously difficult to obtain, especially for those living in remote plantation areas.
In his remarks, Consul General Noorman Effendi said the Menikum programme reflects the Indonesian Government’s commitment to ensuring legal protection for its citizens overseas.
He said the Menikum programme is a concrete manifestation of the state’s responsibility as mandated by the Constitution. Through marriage legalisation, Indonesian couples obtain legal certainty which serves as a crucial foundation for their family’s future.
He also reminded participants to safeguard official documents such as court decrees, marriage books, and birth certificates as these form the legal basis for all future administrative matters.
To date, about 130,000 Indonesians are registered in Sabah, with 1,300 students enrolled at the Kota Kinabalu Indonesian School and a further 22,700 attending Community Learning Centres.
