Dasco Claims No Motive Behind Birthday Greeting to Nadiem

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) Sufmi Dasco Ahmad has stated that there was no hidden motive behind his birthday greeting to former Minister of Education and Culture Nadiem Makarim, who is now a defendant in an alleged corruption case involving the procurement of Chromebook laptops. He also acknowledged that many parties had questioned the post, which he uploaded to his social media account. When asked about the potential granting of amnesty to Nadiem, he did not confirm the matter. “I am also confused about how to answer, really. Because actually, there was no such intention,” Dasco said at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta on Monday. “So, my new admin, they have now made it a habit to greet every public figure on their birthday, posting birthday wishes on my account,” he said. When asked about the provision of legal assistance, he noted that Nadiem is already accompanied by a lawyer handling his case. “Surely it has already been handled by his lawyer, right. Why would there be a need for legal assistance?” he said. On Saturday (4/7), Dasco, via his official Instagram account @sufmi_dasco, uploaded a birthday greeting photo with a caption addressed to Nadiem. The post subsequently drew various comments from Instagram users.