Rismon on Jokowi's Authentic Diploma Book: My Moral Obligation

Rismon Hasiholan Sianipar has produced a new book about Indonesia’s 7th President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) titled ‘Otentikasi Ijazah Joko Widodo’ (Authentication of Joko Widodo’s Diploma). Rismon asked for Jokowi’s signature during a visit to his residence in Sumber Village, Solo, Central Java, on Wednesday (17/6). “This was signed by Mr Jokowi, 17 June 2026,” Rismon said after meeting Jokowi. Rismon stressed that the book is purely the result of his own scientific research. He confirmed that the writing of the book was in no way affiliated with any political interests. “This is solely a work that adheres to scientific principles, not subject to political affiliation, hatred, dislike, liking, or anything else,” he said. He also emphasised that the book is completely unrelated to the Restorative Justice (RJ) process he is undergoing in a defamation case concerning Jokowi’s diploma. In that case, Rismon was involved in compiling the book ‘Jokowi’s White Paper’ alongside Roy Suryo and Tiffauzia Tiyassuma. In that book, Rismon claimed Jokowi’s undergraduate diploma from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) was fake or inauthentic. “From the beginning, it was a moral obligation to prove that I was wrong. So I wrote a book (revising my initial opinion) so that we can be moral, so there is scientific literacy,” he said. Rismon claimed Jokowi responded positively to the writing of the book ‘Otentikasi Ijazah Jokowi’. According to Rismon, Jokowi encouraged that the book eventually be distributed to various universities in Indonesia. “This must be placed in the academic world. Dissected, researched, scrutinised in the academic world,” he said. Rismon plans to hold the first review of his book at UGM. “Earlier, Mr Jokowi’s instruction was at UGM, meaning the primary request is to UGM,” he said.