Child of migrant worker in Malaysia leads Hardiknas ceremony in Jakarta

Kuala Lumpur (ANTARA) - Alokh Abhimanyu, the son of an Indonesian Migrant Worker (PMI) in Malaysia, successfully led the National Education Day (Hardiknas) ceremony held at the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen), Senayan, Jakarta, on Saturday.

Based on information received in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, Alokh (18) is the child of an Indonesian migrant worker named Mei Yarnie Sabhihoen, who works daily as a labourer in Malaysia.

Alokh is a graduate of the Indonesian School of Kuala Lumpur (SIKL) who participated in the 2024 batch of the Affirmative Secondary Education Scholarship Programme (ADEM).

Alokh is currently continuing his education at SMKS Penerbangan AAG Adi Sucipto, Yogyakarta.

The ADEM Coordinator for the Yogyakarta Special Region (DIY), Ratna Siwi Widayanti, stated that Alokh and three of his friends participating in the ADEM Scholarship Programme in the Yogyakarta region were selected as ceremony officials.

“From the ADEM in the Yogyakarta region, four students were selected. Alokh was chosen as the ceremony leader, and the other three served as flag raisers alongside ADEM students from various regions across Indonesia,” said Ratna.

Alokh himself admitted to being very happy and proud to perform alongside his friends from the ADEM Programme throughout Indonesia.

Similar sentiments were expressed by his biological mother, Mei Yarnie Sabhihoen, who consistently provided moral support to her son at the Hardiknas ceremony.

“I am moved to see Alokh has come this far; he can perform alongside other students in a moment we never imagined before,” said Mei.

This year, Kemendikdasmen selected ADEM scholarship recipients, namely ADEM Repatriasi, ADEM Papua, and ADEM 3T, to demonstrate their ability to appear in public as ceremony officials.

The Hardiknas event, themed “Strengthening Universal Participation to Realise Quality Education for All,” proceeded smoothly and solemnly.