Nadiem Moved by Support from Online Taxi Drivers Ahead of Plea Statement Hearing
JAKARTA — The former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Nadiem Makarim, admitted to being moved by the support shown by online motorcycle taxi (ojol) drivers ahead of the reading of his plea statement at the Jakarta Central Corruption Court on Tuesday (2/6/2026).
Observations at the scene showed several online taxi drivers gathered around the court area since the morning, wearing their characteristic driver attributes to provide moral support to Nadiem.
“I am deeply moved by the support from the ojol drivers regarding this case and the truth,” Nadiem stated before the hearing commenced. “I realise that this case has gone far beyond me. It is not just about one case or one person, but about the future of this nation and the future of justice in this country.”
He further noted that the eventual decision by the panel of judges would impact public trust in the national legal system. “The decision of the Panel in this case will certainly impact public confidence in our legal system; whether it is still based on the principle of justice and truth,” he said.
Nadiem added that for an honest person, expressing the truth is straightforward. “We do not need to struggle to find ways to defend this case. Our entire defence is prepared openly without concealing any facts. We are simply presenting the facts, honesty, and truth, which makes the flow of the defence very easy because there is nothing we are hiding,” he explained.
During the trial, the Public Prosecutor requested that the panel of judges impose a prison sentence accompanied by fines and replacement money amounting to trillions of rupiah.
“(The prosecution requests the panel of judges to) impose a criminal sentence upon the Defendant, Nadiem Anwar Makarim, of 18 years imprisonment, reduced by the period the Defendant has spent in detention, with an order for the Defendant to be immediately held in a State Detention Centre,” the prosecutor stated while reading the indictment. In addition to the prison term, the prosecutor also demanded that Nadiem pay a fine of Rp 1 billion.