MP Calls for Thorough Investigation of UTBK Cheating Ring to Maintain Public Trust

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Reni Astuti, a member of Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives, has called on the police to thoroughly investigate the UTBK cheating ring case, which is suspected of helping hundreds of participants gain illegal entry to state universities. According to Reni, quoted in Jakarta on Friday, a thorough investigation of the case is necessary to maintain public trust in the country’s higher education selection system. “This case must be investigated to the end so that public trust in the higher education selection system remains intact,” she said. Furthermore, Reni expressed appreciation for the success of the Surabaya Metropolitan Police in uncovering the UTBK cheating ring that allegedly assisted hundreds of participants in gaining illegal entry to state universities. According to her, the revelation of this case serves as a serious alarm for the education sector, as cheating practices in PTN admissions have been carried out systematically and involve an organised syndicate. “Open and firm handling like this is important to provide a deterrent effect. The education world must not be tainted by practices that damage the values of honesty and meritocracy,” she stated. It is known that the case came to light after a UTBK supervisor at the State University of Surabaya campus suspected the identity of a participant with the initials HR. The participant’s administrative photo was said to resemble old data but used a different identity. From the development of the investigation, the police uncovered suspicions of a cheating ring that had been operating for years. Surabaya Metropolitan Police Chief Luthfie Sulistiawan stated that the syndicate had a neat working system with task divisions for each perpetrator. “This network operates in a structured manner under the control of the main coordinator,” he said. The police also revealed the large amount of money circulating in the cheating practice. To get participants into prestigious majors, especially the Faculty of Medicine at top PTNs, the jockey service fee is said to reach Rp700 million per person.