Nadiem Makarim Recounts First Meeting with Fiona and Ibam

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Mendikbudristek) Nadiem Makarim recounted the moments of his first meetings with Najeela Shihab, Fiona Handayani, and Ibrahim Arief or Ibam. These meetings took place after Nadiem had received confirmation that he would be appointed as Mendikbudristek during the era of Indonesia’s seventh President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). “I first met Fiona, Najeela, and even Ibam, all of that was when I had been given information that there was a high likelihood I would be inaugurated as the Minister of Education,” Nadiem said during the continuation of the trial in the alleged corruption case involving the procurement of Chromebook-based laptops at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Monday (11/5/2026). “If I am a responsible person, if I am someone who wants to prepare myself, of course I must seek out experts in the field of education as well as in government,” Nadiem stated. After that, Nadiem formed a WhatsApp (WA) group named “Mas Menteri Core Team” and “Education Council” which included himself, Najeela, Fiona, and Jurist Tan. The three aforementioned individuals are known to have previously worked at the Centre for Education and Policy Studies Foundation (PSPK). “I was shocked when this case began, that it was announced by the Prosecutor’s Office that in that WhatsApp group, before becoming minister, there had been discussions about TIK procurement or Chromebooks, which turns out did not happen at all and there are no chats,” Nadiem said. The WA group was formed to discuss the general direction of education policy, not the procurement of specific projects. He also emphasised that the discussions in the group were more related to curriculum and education digitalisation strategies. “From their backgrounds in education, government, and also their very clean and highly idealistic reputations, they were gathered in that group,” Nadiem stated. As information, Nadiem is charged with causing state financial losses of Rp 2.1 trillion in the alleged corruption case of Chromebook-based laptop procurement. This act was carried out together with three other defendants, namely former technology consultant of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ibrahim Arief, former Director of Junior High Schools of the Ministry Mulyatsyah, and former Director of Primary Schools of the Ministry Sri Wahyuningsih.