Nadiem Makarim: God Has Never Abandoned Me

Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology for the 2019-2024 period, Nadiem Anwar Makarim, has stated his readiness to face the verdict hearing in the alleged corruption case concerning the procurement of Chromebook laptops. Ahead of the sentencing, Nadiem asserted that he does not feel alone in facing the legal process. Nadiem revealed that support from his family and various segments of society has been his strength throughout the year-long trial. He believes in the truth he is upholding in this case. ‘I have the truth on my side and because of that, God will never leave me. We know that anything can happen today,’ Nadiem said while giving a statement at the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court on Tuesday. Although he hopes justice will side with him, the founder of the technology company admitted he does not want to be naive. He is aware of the possibility that the panel of judges’ ruling may not align with the facts presented during the trial. Nadiem stressed that the case he is experiencing is not merely a personal matter, but a representation of honest people who are at risk of being criminalised. He hopes this case will become a momentum for improving the legal system in Indonesia, from the prosecution process to the evidentiary stage. ‘I have never regretted the decision to serve the country. I do not want young people to be afraid to serve after seeing this case,’ he said. In the previous indictment, prosecutors cited state losses of IDR 1.56 trillion in the education digitalisation programme and approximately IDR 621.39 billion due to the procurement of a CDM system deemed useless. Prosecutors also highlighted the surge in Nadiem’s wealth in the 2022 State Officials’ Wealth Report, which recorded securities holdings worth IDR 5.59 trillion. Nadiem was indicted alongside three other individuals, namely Ibrahim Arief, Mulyatsyah, and Sri Wahyuningsih. Meanwhile, one other suspect, Jurist Tan, remains at large. For his actions, Nadiem faces criminal penalties under the Corruption Eradication Law.