Governor Dedi Mulyadi Dismisses West Java Education Official After PCMB Registration Chaos

West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi has taken decisive action by dismissing Suhendar, the Head of the Technical Implementation Unit for Education Information and Communication Technology (UPTD Tikomdik) at the West Java Education Office. The dismissal follows public protests regarding the implementation of the 2026 Prospective New Student Mapping (PCMB) for senior high schools and vocational schools in West Java. The complaints varied, including unverified accounts, difficulties accessing the system, and unreadable data. Additionally, some participants who had previously enrolled in the Sekolah Maung programme were required to re-register through the regular pathway. The governor, familiarly known as KDM, immediately ordered the Head of the West Java Civil Service Agency (BKD), Dedi Supandi, to dismiss Suhendar after visiting the Education Office and engaging in dialogue with parents. KDM also expressed dissatisfaction with the explanations provided by the Tikomdik team regarding the disruption. “It is true. The Head of UPTD Tikomdik has been temporarily deactivated,” he stated on Wednesday. KDM questioned Suhendar’s responsibility for implementing a new application within the New Student Admission System (SPMB) that was not integrated with the system developed by the West Java Communication and Informatics Agency (Diskominfo) over the past two years. “Do you understand this field? What is your background? Who recommended you for this position?” KDM asked. The governor emphasised that he had established a policy from the outset requiring all applications within the West Java Provincial Government to be built by Diskominfo. Consequently, regional apparatus organisations are prohibited from developing their own applications. The technical aspects of the SPMB will now be handled again by Diskominfo Jabar. KDM appointed the Head of the e-Government Division at Diskominfo Jabar, Mark Aditya, as the acting head of UPTD Tikomdik. “He will handle it until a definitive new official is appointed,” he said. KDM stressed that the 2026 New Student Admission System (SPMB) process must be led by an official who understands IT matters. The SPMB is scheduled to officially open on 15 June. KDM also clarified that the PCMB is only an initial step to map all prospective students in public schools across West Java before official registration begins. PCMB serves as a mapping instrument so the provincial government can ascertain the distribution and readiness of prospective students throughout West Java. According to him, this process is an important part before the SPMB officially opens. “The purpose of the Prospective New Student Mapping (PCMB) is to map all students in all West Java provincial public schools,” he said. The SPMB will only open on 15 June 2026. After that, eligible prospective students will proceed directly to the placement stage based on the selection results.