PKS President Says Gibran ‘Diploma-gate’ Ruling Shows Unequal Treatment

Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) president Almuzzammil Yusuf has revived the controversy over Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s diploma, calling it “diploma-gate”. Almuzzammil said the controversy had arisen because of unequal treatment under the law.

“This is another important event we have just witnessed: the Constitutional Court’s ruling on diploma-gate. We should use this as a starting point for evaluating future elections, while respecting the decisions of state institutions, which are final and binding,” Almuzzammil said in a political speech at the PKS National Technical Guidance event, broadcast on the party’s YouTube channel on Monday (19 October 2026).

Almuzzammil said many members of the public had asked for the issue to be taken up by the House of Representatives (DPR). He said PKS was ready to serve as a channel for public concerns.

“Many people are now coming to ask questions and protest, including approaching us to request that the matter be resolved and processed further in the DPR through legal and constitutional means,” he said.

“PKS believes the diploma-gate controversy concerns the public’s sense of justice and unequal treatment under the law and in government. PKS is ready to channel public concerns,” he added.

Almuzzammil stressed that every Indonesian should have an equal opportunity to lead the country. He said the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the matter should inform evaluations of future elections.

“Democracy must move towards meritocracy. Every Indonesian should have an equal opportunity to lead, on the basis of integrity and competence, not concessions. Elections must be honest and fair,” he said.

Gibran responds to the Constitutional Court ruling

Gibran said he respected the Constitutional Court’s ruling in a challenge to the 2024 presidential election result, in which the court found no evidence of a senior secondary school-equivalent diploma. He said he would now focus on helping deliver President Prabowo Subianto’s vision and programmes.

“We respect all the stages and processes at the Constitutional Court. The most important thing now is that I continue to focus on working for the people and delivering the vision, mission and programmes of the President, our leader,” Gibran said, as quoted by Antara on Wednesday (7 October).

Asked about the court’s ruling that he could not be disqualified as vice-president despite the absence of evidence of a diploma or an education-equivalency document, Gibran said he had continued to undergraduate study after completing an education equivalent to senior secondary school.

“If I hadn’t completed senior secondary school, I wouldn’t have been able to go to university. I studied up to bachelor’s degree level in Singapore,” he said.