Yusril: Student Criticism of Government Must Be Based on Integrity

Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra stated that students must maintain integrity when expressing their aspirations and criticising the government. According to Yusril, the freedom to express opinions and criticism is a vital part of democratic life that must be preserved. “I support students’ freedom to speak out and criticise. However, that criticism must be grounded in strong integrity so that it genuinely aims to build the nation,” Yusril said during a press conference at the Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia office in South Jakarta on Tuesday. As a former student activist, Yusril expressed concern over the admission by a student from Bung Karno University (UBK) who received money after meeting Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka. Nevertheless, he appreciated the student’s willingness to acknowledge the mistake and apologise to the public. Yusril believes integrity is a crucial asset for students who will become future leaders and public officials. He said that integrity built during student years must be maintained so that when holding public office, one remains committed to principles of truth and is not easily swayed by certain interests. “We advise our younger student siblings to always uphold integrity and ensure their struggle is pure,” he said. He added that students who are currently active in criticising the government could in the future become officials who replace the current generation of leaders. Previously, Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka received student representatives who were staging protests in several areas of Jakarta and held a dialogue with them at the Vice Presidential Palace on Monday (22/6). It later emerged that the action coordinator and Chairman of UBK’s Faculty of Law Student Executive Board, M. Abdi Maludin, admitted to receiving Rp20 million after the meeting and issued a public apology.