REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA \u2013 The Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) has\nexpressed regret over the behaviour of an LPDP scholarship recipient,\nidentified only as DS, whose recent online posts have been widely\ncriticised for allegedly belittling Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The Director General of LPDP, Sudarto, reminded LPDP alumni to uphold\nethics and morality, given that the scholarship funds they receive come\nfrom taxes, i.e., public money. \u201cLPDP scholarships come from public\nfunds. I have a slogan now: LPDP \u2018You\u2019re Using Taxpayers\u2019 Money,\u2019 so you\nmust remember that,\u201d Sudarto told reporters at the Ministry of Finance\ncomplex in Jakarta on Wednesday (26 February 2026).<\/p>\n
Sudarto stated that, on behalf of LPDP and all its alumni, he\nconveyed an apology to the public for the controversy caused by DS\u2019s\nbehaviour. He said he deeply regretted DS\u2019s actions, which could have\nbeen avoided.<\/p>\n
He emphasised that LPDP was established and operates based on public\ntrust. The public hopes that the Education Endowment Fund will be a\nlong-term investment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to convey to all LPDP alumni that they should prioritise\nupholding ethics, morality, and national values,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n
Despite the DS case, which has tarnished the reputation of LPDP,\nSudarto remains confident that LPDP alumni are working diligently to\nserve the nation with full dedication throughout the country and in\nvarious fields. Many LPDP alumni continue to bring a good name to\nIndonesia on the world stage.<\/p>\n
Public discourse, especially on social media, has recently been\ndominated by discussions about an LPDP scholarship recipient who posted\na video about his child\u2019s citizenship as a British citizen.<\/p>\n
In the video, which was uploaded to his personal social media\naccount, he showed his child\u2019s British citizenship document, while\nexpressing his happiness and pride.<\/p>\n
One excerpt from the video has drawn sharp criticism: \u201c\u2026it\u2019s enough\nthat I am an Indonesian citizen; my children don\u2019t need to be. We will\nensure that our children have a strong foreign passport.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some members of the public felt that the statement seemed to belittle\nthe Indonesian passport and did not reflect a sense of nationalism,\nespecially given that the person in question was an LPDP scholarship\nrecipient, a higher education funding scheme sourced from the State\nBudget (APBN).<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/lpdp-chief-scholarships-are-funded-by-taxpayers-money-alumni-must-uphold-ethics-and-morality-1772045169", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }