Jakarta. Pop singer Rizky Febian and his partner Mahalini Raharja have been asked to re-do their marriage after the South Jakarta Religious Court rejected their request for marriage validation.

The court determined that their initial wedding ceremony did not meet the required legal and religious standards, instructing the couple to repeat their marriage vows.

Their marriage in May gained nationwide attention due to Indonesia’s law prohibiting interfaith marriages, which requires one partner to convert to the religion of the other. In compliance with this law, Mahalini, who was previously Hindu, chose to convert to Islam before marrying Rizky Febian.

Suryana, spokesperson for the South Jakarta Religious Court, explained on Monday that the marriage could not be validated due to the appointment of an invalid marriage guardian, or wali hakim.

According to Indonesia’s Marriage Law, specifically Religious Affairs Ministry Regulation No. 30 of 2005, a marriage guardian must either be a close family member or the head of the local Office of Religious Affairs (KUA) when the bride lacks a legal guardian. This was the case with Mahalini, who converted to Islam.

“The guardian in this case was an ustaz (Islamic teacher) who married the couple, acting as their guardian, which is not permissible. Since Mahalini had no legal guardian due to her conversion, the marriage was not recognized,” Suryana said.

Rizky Febian and Mahalini must now register their marriage with the KUA and repeat the ceremony to meet the legal requirements. Suryana said that the error likely occurred due to a lack of awareness of proper procedures on both sides and emphasized that the couple should not be blamed for the oversight.

“The marriage was not valid, but we recognize that this was a misunderstanding. They must marry again with a proper wali hakim before it can be officially recorded,” Suryana explained.

While the couple has the option to appeal the decision, Suryana emphasized that if no appeal is made, they will need to follow the correct process to ensure their marriage is legally recognized.

The issue arose because both Rizky Febian’s and Mahalini’s families were unaware of the specific legal requirements. The court has advised couples to take a more active role in managing their marriage documentation to avoid such issues in the future.

“They should handle these matters themselves, including choosing the proper guardian and witnesses, and not leave these responsibilities to wedding organizers,” Suryana concluded.

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