On the LPDP Controversy, Farhan Asks All Parties to Be Wise on Social Media
Responding to the polemic surrounding recipients of the Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan (LPDP) scholarship, Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan has asked all parties to be wise on social media. He believes the uproar stems from a lack of prudence in expressing oneself online.
“That is the result of not being wise enough in utilizing the freedom of expression through social media. I see it not as a matter of nationalism, but as a result of not being wise enough in utilizing the freedom of expression through social media,” he said.
According to Farhan, while the government and society are focused on addressing various strategic issues, controversial statements are triggering unnecessary uproar. Farhan said he has had direct experience interacting with LPDP scholarship recipients when he was a member of Commission I of the DPR RI.
“Every time I visited abroad, I always made time to meet Indonesian students who were studying. On average, they said that their purpose in attending LPDP was to gain knowledge and their goal was to return to Indonesia,” he explained.
Therefore, Farhan hopes that this spirit will be maintained. State scholarships are a form of trust as well as a long-term investment for the progress of the nation. The number one person in the City of Bandung reminded that the tragic story like the one depicted in the film Surat dari Praha should not be repeated, which tells the story of Indonesian students abroad who could not return to their homeland due to the political situation at the time.
“That was a tragedy. Indonesia’s best students were sent to Eastern Europe, but because of the revolution, they could not return. That was sad for everyone. And we don’t want that to happen again,” he added.
Farhan said that, in a more logical approach, recipients of state scholarships should have a moral commitment to return and contribute to Indonesia. “We should not bite the hand that feeds us,” he said.
Farhan added that nationalism is not just rhetoric, but is realized through real contributions after completing education. He also invited all parties to be more careful in expressing their opinions in public. Freedom of expression must still be accompanied by social responsibility.
“Unnecessary uproar can disrupt our focus on much larger issues,” he said.
Farhan hopes that this polemic will be a lesson for all, both for scholarship recipients and the wider community, to continue to maintain communication ethics and national commitment. For Farhan, LPDP is a strategic instrument for creating superior human resources. Therefore, public energy should be directed to ensuring that the best graduates return and strengthen national development. (H-2)
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An observer highlighted the polemic of former LPDP scholarship recipients. See the analysis of loopholes in the rules, career dilemmas, and the urgency of national workforce planning.
The Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Stella Chrstie, also gave her response regarding LPDP alumni who went viral because they did not want their children to have the status of Indonesian citizens.
The Ministry of Education and Culture, through the Center for National Achievement (Puspresnas), in collaboration with the Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan (LPDP), officially launched the Talenta Indonesia Scholarship.
Rissalwan Habdy Lubis responded to the viral case of LPDP alumni who said that their children should not be Indonesian citizens. He said that the public must understand that the LPDP scholarship is an investment of the state.
LPDP is a public fund sourced from Indonesian people’s taxes and managed as an endowment fund for education to finance the next generation of the nation.
Why did the LPDP polemic trigger public anger? See the latest facts about 44 alumni who have defaulted, sanctions for returning funds, and sharp criticism from the Minister of Finance.
A member of Commission X of the DPR RI, Andi Muawiyah Ramly, said that the violations committed by LPDP scholarship recipients are a serious alarm for the government to carry out improvements.
The awarding of LPDP scholarships should be done through stricter selection, given the increasing number of cases of LPDP scholarship recipients who have committed violations.