Hasto Responds to Bribery Allegations Involving BEM UBK
PDIP Secretary-General Hasto Kristiyanto has addressed the bribery scandal involving the Student Executive Board (BEM) of the Faculty of Law at Bung Karno University (UBK). Hasto criticised attempts to exploit student movements for specific political agendas, calling it a recurring pattern in the nation’s history.
According to Hasto, the moral movement of young intellectuals has often been a target for infiltration by external forces. He made these remarks in Yogyakarta on Thursday, 25 June 2026, referencing historical events such as the 1965 incident, where student movements were manipulated by political interests during the Cold War.
Despite the scandal, Hasto expressed high appreciation for the honesty shown by the student leader, who admitted to receiving a bribe. He viewed the courageous admission of the manipulation attempt as a positive step for students to restore the purity of their patriotic spirit in addressing national issues.
Hasto called for the case to be investigated immediately and followed up concretely by the relevant authorities. He stressed that this is essential to ensure that the process of nurturing future national leaders is not tainted by transactional practices. He also argued that the government should not be anti-criticism in the face of protests against policies perceived as deviating from the right path.
The scandal began when student representatives from several faculties at UBK held a demonstration in Central Jakarta on Monday, 15 June 2026, demanding an evaluation of the government’s Free Nutritious Meal programme. Fifteen representatives were allowed into the Vice President’s office for a dialogue after it was announced that Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka would meet them.
Tensions escalated a week later during an internal clarification forum on campus on 22 June 2026. A video recording of the forum went viral, showing the BEM FH UBK Chairman, Muhammad Abdimalikin, openly admitting to receiving Rp 20 million in cash, which he claimed was only 20 per cent of an initial commitment of Rp 300 million. The money was allegedly given with the agreement that the students would move their demonstration away from the State Palace to the DPR RI building, although the students ultimately refused to relocate.