Purbaya Says LPDP Alumni Who Refused Indonesian Citizenship for Child Will Regret It

Jakarta, VIVA – A post by Instagram user @sasetyaningtyas has gone viral on social media. The woman, along with her husband, is a recipient of a scholarship from the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP).

In her post, the woman was seen showing off a letter she received from the United Kingdom’s Home Office regarding British citizenship for her second child.

The letter displayed in her post stated that her second child had officially become a British citizen, and she also showed the British passport that arrived alongside the letter.

The incident has drawn the attention of Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa. During the APBN KITA press conference for the February 2026 edition, Purbaya took a swipe at the incident whilst assuring that Indonesia’s economy would continue to improve going forward.

He said this should serve as a point of reflection for Indonesian citizens who tend to be pessimistic about the national economy, to the extent of feeling no pride in or even refusing to hold Indonesian citizenship.

“Including the one that went viral recently, where she said her child should not be an Indonesian citizen,” said Purbaya at the Ministry of Finance in Jakarta on Monday, 23 February 2026.

According to Purbaya, when compared with countries at the global level, Indonesia still maintains stronger economic conditions than many other nations.

He expressed confidence that Indonesia’s economy would be significantly better in 20 years’ time, which would ultimately lead people like those in the viral case to regret their decision.

“Perhaps in 20 years they will regret it, because our economy will be in excellent shape 20 years from now,” he said.