Indonesia’s Consulate General Launches Second Phase of MENIKUM Programme to Provide Legal Certainty for Citizens in Sabah

The Consul-General (left) commemorating the event with one of the couples

18 November 2025

KOTA KINABALU: The Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) in Kota Kinabalu launched the second phase of its 2025 MENIKUM (Marriage for Protection)/Itsbat Nikah Programme, a flagship initiative designed to provide legal certainty for Indonesian citizens living in Sabah.

The programme runs from 18–21 November at the KJRI Kota Kinabalu compound.

This year’s second phase involves 350 participants, including 150 Muslim couples attending itsbat nikah hearings and 25 non-Muslim couples undergoing marriage validation.

Participants come from plantations and remote areas across Sabah, where access to civil registration services has historically been limited. To maintain efficiency amid high demand, KJRI continues to implement a participant quota SYSTEM, an approach the mission says has improved orderliness and service delivery.

As an integrated public service, MENIKUM enables participants to complete all key legal and administrative procedures in a single event. These include itsbat nikah, marriage validation, issuance of the Single Identification Number (NIT), Marriage Books, and Certificates of Birth Registration.

" The consolidated process accelerates downstream administrative requirements such as obtaining passports, identity cards, family cards, and children’s birth Certificates," Consul General Noorman Effendi said.

He highlighted the national significance of the programme, describing MENIKUM as an essential expression of state responsibility toward Indonesians abroad.

“MENIKUM is a concrete manifestation of state protection as mandated by the 1945 Constitution. Through itsbat nikah, Indonesian couples obtain legal certainty that serves as an essential foundation for the future of their families and children,” he told the media.

He urged participants to keep their issued documents safe, noting that court rulings, marriage books, and birth registration certificates are vital for future administrative processes.

The Consul General said, “Itsbat nikah is a solution for the regularisation of past unregistered marriages, but it is not a substitute for legal requirements. We urge young people to marry in accordance with regulations to ensure orderly administration and optimal legal protection,” he emphasised.

MENIKUM has been recognised as one of Indonesia’s Top 40 National Public Service Innovations since 2018 and continues to be monitored by the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (PANRB) for its sustainability.

Carrying the values of “Beyond Protection” and “Service Excellence Beyond Expectation”, the programme remains a cornerstone of KJRI Kota Kinabalu’s efforts to provide inclusive, high-quality consular services.

The Consul-General expressed hope that this second-phase implementation would proceed smoothly and deliver long-term benefits for Indonesian families across Sabah, reinforcing their legal rights and enabling them to build safer, more stable lives abroad.