Finance Minister Issues Stern Warning to LPDP Scholarship Recipients: Do Not Disparage the Nation

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has reminded all recipients of scholarships from the Education Fund Management Institution (LPDP) that the funds used to support their studies come from public taxes. He also warned scholarship recipients not to disparage the nation.

Purbaya made the statement in response to the controversy surrounding an LPDP alumna with the initials DS, whose case went viral on social media. DS’s social media posts drew scrutiny for allegedly belittling the value of an Indonesian passport and failing to demonstrate pride as an Indonesian citizen.

“That money comes from taxes and partly from debt that we set aside to ensure our human resources can grow. But if it is used to insult the country, then we will demand the money back with interest,” Purbaya said at the February 2026 edition of the APBN KiTa press conference in Jakarta on Monday (23 February 2026).

The Finance Minister expressed regret over the alleged misuse of facilities and attitudes deemed inconsistent with the purpose of the scholarship programme. The government, he continued, would enforce existing regulations to ensure scholarship recipients fulfil all their obligations to LPDP.

“Fundamentally, this is the sort of thing we deplore. We will enforce the rules in place at LPDP so that the individual concerned fulfils their responsibilities to LPDP,” he said.

The state treasurer also disclosed that the President Director of LPDP had already been in contact with the individual concerned, and that DS’s husband, identified by the initials AP, had agreed to repay the scholarship funds.

“The LPDP President Director has spoken with the husband of DS, and he has agreed to return the money used from LPDP, including interest. I hope that in future, colleagues who receive LPDP funding will refrain from disparaging the nation,” he said.

Beyond the repayment of funds, Purbaya also indicated he was considering stronger measures, including blacklisting across all government agencies for those deemed to have violated their commitments and ethics as state scholarship recipients.