Digitalization of education not a personal agenda, orders Jokowi

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Former Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology Nadiem Makarim emphasized that the education digitalization program he is implementing is a direct mandate of the 7th President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) since he first took office in 2019.

Nadiem conveyed this while reading the duplicate during the follow-up trial of the alleged corruption case in the purchase of Chromebook-based laptops at the Central Jakarta Corruption Crimes Court (Tipikor), Tuesday (23/6/2026).

“It is a fact that the prosecution ignored, and that my mandate was from the start to digitalization of education in accordance with the directives of the President. “It’s not a personal agenda,” Nadiem said Tuesday afternoon.

Also read: Nadiem expresses his concern upon his appointment by Jokowi as minister

“Pak Jokowi also publicly acknowledged several weeks ago that all my policies, including the digitalization of education, were instructions from the president,” he said.

Nadiem said that from the beginning, Jokowi gave instructions to the Ministry of Education to immediately carry out digital transformation and use technology to improve education governance.

“The president has been mandated to immediately implement the digitalization of education and use technology to update education governance,” Nadiem said.

He revealed that during his first full cabinet meeting, Jokowi also ordered the immediate construction platform technology for education.

Also read: Nadiem reveals dilemma of letting Gojek into Jokowi’s cabinet, says almost everything is off-limits

Nadiem considered that this direction shows that the President wants rapid progress and progress in the management of national education through the use of technology.

“Imagine, Mr. President Joko Widodo “I directly stated, even in 2019 when I took office, that rapid advancements were needed using existing infrastructure and technological advancements,” he said.

Nadiem also believes that he was chosen as Minister of Education because of his experience in the technology sector.

“Now I ask Your Excellency, without my experience in technology, why did the President choose me to be Minister of Education?” he said.

Nadiem Makarim case

Prosecutors requested Nadiem Makarim was sentenced to 18 years in prison and fined IDR 1 billion in an alleged corruption case in connection with the purchase of laptops equipped with Chromebooks from the Ministry of Education and Culture.

The prosecutor also demanded that Nadiem pay compensation amounting to IDR 809.596 billion and IDR 4.871 trillion.

The prosecutor considered that the purchase of Chromebook-based laptops during the period 2020 to 2022 was made for personal use and had an impact on the quality of education in Indonesia.

“The defendant’s actions in committing criminal acts of corruption in the education sector, which is a strategic sector of national development, resulted in hindering the quality of equitable education for children in Indonesia,” the prosecutor said when reading the charges on May 13, 2026.

Also read: Request for 18 years in prison and feelings of grief from Nadiem Makarim

The prosecutor also highlighted the increase in the defendant’s assets, deemed disproportionate to his legal income.

“Thus, the defendant’s assets increased disproportionately compared to his legal or alleged income from criminal acts of corruption amounting to IDR 4,871,469,603,758,” said the prosecutor.

Apart from this, the prosecutor said that this case caused losses to the state amounting to IDR 1,567,888,662,716.74.

This action was carried out by Nadiem together with Kemendikbudristek technology consultant Ibrahim Arief, former SD director Sri Wahyuningsih, former SMP director Mulyatsyah and former special staff member Jurist Tan.

KOMPAS.com is committed to providing clear, reliable and balanced information. Support the sustainability of clear journalism and enjoy ad-free reading comfort through membership. Join KOMPAS.com Plus now