Students Demand BEM UBK Resignation Over Alleged Payment from Gibran
Students of the Faculty of Law at Bung Karno University (UBK) are demanding strict sanctions against several members of the student executive board (BEM) who allegedly received money from Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka during a wave of demonstrations.
The statement of demands was posted on the BEM FH UBK Instagram account on Tuesday (23/6), titled ‘Points of Demands from UBK Students’. They are urging the named individuals to issue a video apology and accept both academic and social consequences.
“Make a statement in video form that the parties involved are ready to be held accountable for the academic and social consequences set by UBK and UBK students,” the post stated.
The students named five individuals suspected of involvement and receiving the money: Muhammad Abdimaludin, Chair of BEM FH; Rafly Maulana Akbar, Vice Chair; Mubarak Tuasamu, a BEM FH officer; Pujiono, Chair of BEM FEB; and Muhammad Rafli Bastian, Vice Chair of BEM FEB.
They are demanding that the named individuals resign from all internal campus positions, including BEM leadership, and make a video confession admitting they received money from the Vice President after a meeting on 15 June. The students also demand that those involved receive an E grade for the Bung Karno Teachings 1-4 course, and that any recipients of the KIP Kuliah scholarship return the funds they have received. A deadline of 10 working days, from Monday 22 June to 6 July, has been set for all parties to comply with the demands.
As of the writing of this report, there has been no official statement from Gibran or the Vice Presidential Palace regarding the alleged payments.
Meanwhile, the UBK Rectorate has announced the suspension of Muhammad Abdi Maludin, Chair of the Faculty of Law BEM, following his admission of meeting with Gibran during the protest activities. “Today, in accordance with the Rector’s statement, we have suspended the individual concerned,” said UBK Vice Rector III Daniel Panda during a press conference on campus in Jakarta on Tuesday afternoon.
The suspension is part of an ongoing investigation within the university’s code of ethics framework. “Thus, the individual can no longer represent himself as BEM Chair until the investigation process is complete,” he added.
Panda explained that Abdi had formally admitted to receiving Rp20 million through a senior alumnus of the Faculty of Law, with the money originating from a police officer. “In this case, we have summoned the Chair of the Faculty of Law BEM, Abdi. He has made an official admission to the university that he received Rp20 million through an individual, a senior alumnus of the UBK Faculty of Law, handed over by a police officer,” Panda stated.
He continued that the university has formed an investigation team, with the Ethics Commission chaired by Mas Eko. Despite information already circulating on social media, the campus will continue to investigate and take statements from other students involved. “After that, we will impose sanctions. The sanctions will be determined based on the level of wrongdoing by the student concerned, in accordance with the regulations in force at Bung Karno University,” Daniel Panda concluded.