Nadiem's Reflections While Under House Arrest, His Youngest Child Even Cried

Former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology for the 2019-2024 period, Nadiem Makarim, stated that he is grateful for his status being changed to house arrest since Tuesday, 12 May 2026. This is because, as house arrest allows him to receive care in a sterile environment after undergoing surgery. “I am grateful that the judge could act humanely by allowing me to be with my family during the recovery period,” Nadiem said when met before the prosecution hearing at the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court on Wednesday, 13 May 2026. Upon returning home after serving time in a state detention centre (rutan), he felt a mix of joy and sadness, making it hard to describe his exact emotions. Especially, he said, when reuniting with his children at home. Even his youngest child, who is just one year old, cried when Nadiem left again for court to attend the trial. After the prosecution hearing, he stated that he would undergo surgery that same night to prevent his illness from spreading. “This is already the fourth or fifth surgery, if I’m not mistaken. It must be handled immediately; otherwise, the risks are quite severe,” he revealed. Nadiem is the defendant in the alleged corruption case involving the digitalisation of education programme, specifically the procurement of Chromebook laptops and Chrome Device Management (CDM) within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology from 2019 to 2022. In that case, he is charged with corruption that harms the state finances by Rp2.18 trillion. The corruption is alleged to have been committed, among others, by carrying out the procurement of information and communication technology-based learning facilities in the form of Chromebook laptops and CDM for the 2020, 2021, and 2022 fiscal years, not in accordance with the procurement planning and procurement principles. Nadiem’s actions are charged as being committed jointly with three other defendants in separate trials, namely Ibrahim Arief alias Ibam, Mulyatsyah, and Sri Wahyuningsih, as well as Jurist Tan, who is currently a fugitive. In detail, the state losses caused by this case amount to Rp1.56 trillion related to the education digitalisation programme at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, as well as US$44.05 million or equivalent to Rp621.39 billion due to the unnecessary and unbeneficial procurement of CDM in the education digitalisation programme.