Witness in Nadiem Trial States Chromebook Laptop Specifications Too Low for Vocational School Students
JAKARTA — An apparatus of the civil service from the Banten Province Education and Culture Office, Asep Muzakir, revealed that Chromebook laptops procured by the Ministry of Education and Culture could not be used by vocational school (SMK) students due to insufficient specifications.
Asep made this statement whilst being examined as a witness in the continued trial of the alleged corruption case regarding Chromebook laptop procurement, with defendant former Minister of Education and Culture Nadiem Makarim.
“When we speak about vocational schools, we actually require laptops with specifications far higher than these Chromebooks,” Asep stated during the hearing at the Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court on Monday, 9 March 2026.
At the time of the procurement, Asep was serving as the Technical Implementation Officer for procurement activities using Special Allocation Funds (DAK).
The Chromebook procurement was undertaken to support teaching and learning activities (KBM) and the implementation of minimum competency assessments (AKM).
Based on reports received by Asep from schools, these Chromebooks were only used for AKM.
“That’s correct,” Asep responded.
Yet the Chromebook procurement had already followed technical guidelines (juknis) prepared in accordance with the Ministry of Education Regulation No. 5 of 2021 concerning Operational Guidelines for DAK in the Education Sector.
Asep explained that there were several factors that made Chromebooks rarely used for teaching and learning activities.
“Secondly, indeed for vocational schools, particularly for certain skill competencies, these devices are insufficient in support,” he stated.
Nadiem Makarim stands accused of causing state financial losses of Rp 2.1 trillion in the alleged corruption case regarding Chromebook laptop procurement. This action was undertaken jointly with three other defendants: former Ministry of Education and Culture technology consultant Ibrahim Arief, former Director of the Ministry’s Secondary School Division Mulyatsyah, and former Director of the Ministry’s Primary School Division Sri Wahyuningsih.