Golkar: LPDP Awardees Funded by Public Taxes, Need to be Equipped with Nationalism

Chairman of the Golkar Party Faction in the MPR RI, Melchias Markus Mekeng, highlighted the plan to involve the Indonesian National Armed Forces, particularly the Air Force, in the training programme for recipients of scholarships from the Education Fund Management Agency (LPDP). Mekeng referenced cases of Indonesian citizens whose education was funded by the state but who instead took pride in the nationality of another country.

“They must be equipped with, first, an understanding of the Archipelagic Insight and, second, about Pancasila because that is very important, yes, because they are going abroad. They will encounter all sorts of people with various backgrounds and ideologies. So that they do not later feel that other ideologies are more suitable for Indonesia,” said Mekeng to reporters on Wednesday (6/5/2026).

Mekeng stated that LPDP scholarship recipients use Indonesian public taxes. He stressed that they must possess a spirit of nationalism to build the nation.

“Moreover, we have seen lately that suddenly there are people who feel proud to become citizens of another country. So, in my opinion, this is a positive step that deserves support so that students funded by the state with the sweat of the people, through taxes, also have an understanding of the Archipelagic Insight and the four pillars,” he stated.

Mekeng is concerned that LPDP scholarship recipients will compare other countries with Indonesia. He does not want them to ultimately choose the country they reside in and leave the homeland.

“Maybe seeing that there the systems, whatever governance systems are more orderly and neat, they feel it is far better. Then they end up feeling that staying abroad is nicer, or the current term is ‘just escape for now’,” said Mekeng.

“That is a wrong understanding. So, in my view, they will definitely compare. When they live in Indonesia, even to handle this, they have to go through this and that, the bureaucracy is convoluted and all sorts,” he continued.

He stated that the purpose of the training for LPDP awardees is good so that they do not forget the state’s tax contributions. Mekeng hopes that LPDP students can improve the nation in the future.

“Well, if we have funded them and then they there only think about themselves, whereas the state funds them so that they return here to improve this country,” he said.

It is known that LPDP involves the TNI in the Pre-Departure Preparation or PK activities for scholarship recipients. LPDP stated that the pre-departure preparation activity is not new.

“LPDP continuously organises Pre-Departure Preparation (PK) as part of the initial training for scholarship recipients before undertaking their studies. This PK activity has been carried out since the LPDP scholarship programme was launched and is an important part in ensuring the readiness of scholarship recipients, both academically and non-academically,” said Head of the Legal and Communications Division of LPDP, M Lukmanul Hakim, when contacted on Monday (4/5).

He said that PK aims to equip scholarship recipients with character strengthening to national values. He hopes that the activity can make the scholarship recipients or awardees carry out their studies responsibly.

“PK aims to equip scholarship recipients with character strengthening, national values, leadership, ethics, as well as mental and social readiness, so that awardees can undertake their study period optimally and responsibly as recipients of state scholarships,” he stated.