Expert Questions Moral Obligation of LPDP Scholar Over Viral 'I'm Enough as Indonesian Citizen, Not My Children' Post

Child education and protection expert Susanto has criticised the case of a woman identified by her initials DS, whose social media post declaring “I’m enough as an Indonesian citizen, my children shouldn’t be” went viral. He raised questions about the moral obligations of DS, who is a recipient of a scholarship from the Education Fund Management Institution (LPDP).

Susanto took issue with DS’s apparent happiness that her children had obtained citizenship of another country. In his view, children have the right to determine their own nationality.

“From a constitutional perspective, citizenship is a child’s right as a legal subject, not merely a parental preference,” said Susanto on Saturday (20 February 2026).

The former chairman of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) also addressed children’s rights aspects of the case. He argued that children must genuinely consider the citizenship decision themselves, rather than simply following their mother’s ideological stance.

“The principle of the best interests of the child demands that decisions be made for the child’s future, not as an expression of a parent’s ideological attitude towards the state. In this regard, children must truly consider the matter carefully, not merely reflect their parents’ wishes,” he said.

Regarding public ethics, DS was deemed to have a moral obligation to maintain her national commitment. Susanto noted that DS had been funded by the state through the LPDP scholarship programme.

“If one’s education was funded by the state through the Education Fund Management Institution, there is a moral obligation to uphold national commitment, not merely to exploit public facilities. It is not about the contribution period ending, but about the ethics of nationhood and statehood. In my view, this is a matter of fundamental principle,” he said.

Furthermore, he argued that the DS case should serve as a wake-up call for the government and an opportunity to evaluate the scholarship selection system. State scholarship recipients should possess a strong commitment to the nation.

“This case needs to serve as a gateway for evaluating the LPDP scholarship recipient selection system going forward — not only competency-based selection, but also consideration of the quality of national commitment and love for the country,” he said.

LPDP Responds

LPDP scholarship recipient DS sparked controversy after declaring “I’m enough as an Indonesian citizen, my children shouldn’t be.” She, who now resides in the United Kingdom, posted about her child receiving a passport from the British government.

The LPDP expressed regret over the controversy, stating that DS’s actions did not reflect the values of integrity expected of scholars.

“The LPDP regrets the social media controversy triggered by the actions of one of its alumni, DS. These actions do not reflect the values of integrity, ethics, and professionalism that the LPDP instils in all scholarship recipients,” the institution stated.

Meanwhile, her husband, who is also an LPDP scholar, is alleged to have not yet completed his contribution period. The couple are known to be residing in the United Kingdom.

“In accordance with regulations, all LPDP awardees and alumni are obligated to carry out a period of service contributing to Indonesia lasting twice the duration of their studies plus one year,” the LPDP explained.

“In the case of DS, who undertook two years of study, the contribution obligation is five years,” it added.

The LPDP confirmed that DS no longer has any ties with the institution, having completed her studies in August 2017.

“DS completed her master’s degree and graduated on 31 August 2017, and has fulfilled all service obligations in accordance with regulations. Accordingly, the LPDP no longer has any legal engagement with the individual concerned,” it stated.

“Nevertheless, the LPDP will continue to endeavour to communicate with DS to urge her to exercise greater wisdom in using social media, to be mindful of public sensitivities, and to remind her that LPDP scholarship recipients have a national obligation to serve the country,” it added.