KIP Orders UGM to Release Multiple Documents on Jokowi's Degree Including Transcripts and Community Service Reports
The Central Information Commission (KIP) has partially granted a dispute resolution request submitted by the Expose Jokowi’s Degree group (Bonjowi) against Gadjah Mada University (UGM) concerning academic documents belonging to Indonesia’s seventh president, Joko Widodo. The decision was delivered during information dispute proceedings number 055/X/KIP-PSI/2025 on Tuesday (10 March).
The chair of the KIP commissioner panel, Rospita Vici Paulyn, stated that the petitioners’ request was not entirely granted because some documents contain personal data and fall within the category of excluded information.
In its deliberations, the panel stated that documents related to the issuance of the degree are not entirely within the university’s possession. The original degree is held by its owner, whilst several other documents are currently subject to seizure by Metro Jaya Police for investigative purposes.
“Documents related to the issuance of the bachelor’s degree are not within the respondent’s possession because they are held by the degree holder, whilst other documents are in the possession of Metro Jaya Police based on an investigative mandate letter,” the panel stated.
Nevertheless, the panel found that UGM still possesses scanned copies of documents previously seized by investigators. The university classified these documents as excluded information because they relate to personal data and could potentially be misused if made public.
The panel emphasised that before designating a document as excluded information, public bodies are obliged to conduct a consequence test as regulated in the Public Information Openness Law.
“Public bodies through their Public Information Officials must conduct consequence testing before designating public information as excluded information for access by any person,” said Rospita.
Of eight types of information requested by the petitioners regarding Jokowi’s academic documents, the panel stated that seven could be partially opened provided they do not contain academic grades or personal data of other parties. The request for the original degree was denied.
The documents determined to be partially accessible include degree copies, transcripts, course registration cards and grade cards, community service reports, thesis or final project reports, supervisor assignment letters and examination proceedings records, as well as academic evaluation decision letters, registration proof for academic evaluation, and graduation certificates.
“These constitute information that is partially accessible provided they do not contain grade values and personal information of other parties,” said Rospita.
Rospita also decided that documents relating to UGM’s official procedures or policies, including the curriculum that applied when Jokowi pursued his studies, constitute public information that is accessible.
Additionally, the petitioners’ request for documents verifying the degree in the process of Jokowi’s candidacy as a public official was stated to be unable to be fulfilled. The panel noted that such documents were never produced by the relevant party.
With this decision, the Information Commission confirmed that some of the requested information can be accessed by the public, whilst documents containing personal data or not within UGM’s possession remain undisclosable.