Nadiem says he may need to undergo further surgery as his health declines

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Nadiem Anwar Makarim, the Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology for the 2019-2024 period, said there is a possibility that he may again need to undergo a surgical procedure due to a deterioration in his health. According to yesterday’s MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) results, the report was not good due to a setback in healing, with a new internal reinfection in addition to external wounds, Nadiem said in response to a judge’s question about his condition during a witness examination in the Corruption Court at the Jakarta District Court (PN Jakpus) on Thursday. Therefore, intensive treatment is also required for him as had been the case several months earlier. Previously, Nadiem had undergone surgery and received intensive care, causing his initial trial to be postponed twice, on 16 December 2025 and 23 December 2025. The presiding judge, Purwanto Abdullah, also urged Nadiem not to push himself to attend the witness examination while unwell. ‘If you feel unwell or in any way, communicate it; do not push yourself,’ the Chief Judge said. If further intensive action is indeed required later, such as surgery, the Chief Judge hopes Nadiem can report to the prison authorities or the Prosecutors Office. Nevertheless, Nadiem continued to attend the witness examination today. The examination also included Nadiem’s former special staff, Fiona Handayani, and former Kemendikbudristek technology consultant Ibrahim Arief, alias Ibam, who were summoned to testify. Along with Nadiem, Ibam has also been charged in a case of alleged corruption in the education digitisation programme involving the procurement of Chromebooks and Chrome Device Management (CDM) for the Kemendikbudristek environment in 2019–2022. Nadiem is alleged to have committed corruption causing state losses of Rp2.18 trillion, including through the procurement of information and communications technology-based learning facilities in the form of Chromebooks and CDM during the 2020, 2021 and 2022 fiscal years not in accordance with procurement planning and procurement principles. The acts were allegedly committed together with three other defendants in a separate trial, namely Ibam, Mulyatsyah, and Sri Wahyuningsih, as well as Jurist Tan, who is currently at large. In detail, the state losses include Rp1.56 trillion related to the education digitisation programme at Kemendikbudristek, and US$44.05 million (equivalent to Rp621.39 billion) due to the procurement of CDM that was unnecessary and not beneficial to the education digitisation programme. Through these acts, Nadiem is alleged to have received around Rp809.59 billion from PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa (PT AKAB) via PT Gojek Indonesia. It is stated that a large portion of PT AKAB’s funds originated from a Google investment valued at US$786.99 million. This is reflected in Nadiem’s wealth declared in 2022 LHKPN, which shows holdings in securities worth Rp5.59 trillion. He faces penalties under Article 2(1) or Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of Law No. 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Corruption Crimes as amended by Law No. 20 of 2001 and Article 55(1) paragraph 1 of the KUHP.