Jokowi's Dipeliahan Dipeliah Dipeliah Polemic

JAKARTA The polemic of the authenticity of the diploma of the Seventh President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo is still attractive to the public. Recently, former Minister of Youth and Sports Roy Suryo and seven other people have become suspects in the alleged case of Jokowi's fake diploma.

The police have named eight people as suspects in connection with accusations of Jokowi's fake diploma. In the first cluster there were five suspects, namely Eggi Sudjana, Kurnia Tri Rohyani, Damai Hari Lubis, Rustam Effendi, and Muhammad Rizal Fadillah.

Meanwhile, the second cluster consisted of three suspects, namely Roy Suryo, Rismon Hasiholan Sianipar, and Tifauziah Tyassuma alias doctor Tifa.

"Polda Metro Jaya has named eight suspects in the defamation, slander and manipulation of electronic data reported by Mr. Joko Widodo," said Metro Jaya Police Chief Inspector General Asep Edi Suheri at a press conference, Friday (7/11).

Some observers think that the commotion about Jokowi's alleged fake diploma is actually beneficial for the person concerned, because his name continues to be discussed in the national media.

The commotion about Jokowi's diploma has actually been going on for a long time. Precisely in January 2019, ahead of the presidential election, a man named Umar Kholid was arrested by the police for his uploads on Facebook. He is said to have uploaded fake news regarding fake documents on his Facebook account.

The lie in question is the question about Jokowi's high school diploma which he considers fake. The accusation is because in a written diploma Jokowi graduated from SMAN 6 Surakarta in 1980, while according to Umar the school only stood in 1986.

After a moment of subsidence, a book entitled Jokowi Undercover 2: Man with Fake Diplomas Bambang Tri Mulyono became a public conversation. This 223-page book contains a number of accusations against Jokowi's educational history based on the testimonies of people close to Jokowi, whom he considered a lie.

Bambang accused Jokowi of using a fake diploma during the 2019 presidential election list. He then sued Jokowi to the Central Jakarta District Court. However, in the middle of the trial, this lawsuit was withdrawn because he was a suspect in another case involving hate speech.

Then in 2024, Head of the Ulama and Activist Defenders Team (TPUA) Eggi Sudjana sued Jokowi for alleged use of fake undergraduate diplomas to the Central Jakarta District Court.

Seeing the same problem continuing, political observer Dedi Kurnia Syah assessed that the issue of fake diplomas was a dilemma. On the one hand, society needs legal certainty. Forgering documents, especially since the document is involved in the requirements of our government system, it includes criminal acts.

However, at this time the issue of fake diplomas should no longer be relevant considering that Jokowi is no longer the ruler. Dedi assessed that there are many other important issues, for example Jokowi's involvement in alleged collusion, follow-up reports to the KPK by civilians regarding the alleged corruption of the Jokowi family, or Jokowi's policy that has the potential to disrupt our constitution.

Instead of weakening Jokowi's position, Dedi sees that this issue could benefit the former Surakarta Mayor.

"And Jokowi is not impossible to keep this issue alive, the public needs to pay attention to the situation, not to be used politically," said Dedi to VOI.

Constitutional law expert from Andalan University, Feri Amsari, said Jokowi's fake diploma polemic would not have a constitutional impact, even if it was later proven to be fake.

In other words, this problem will not change anything that has been decided during the Jokowi administration.

"But the criminal aspect will be very strong, both to Jokowi and the election organizers because it is not impossible that there is a deliberate attempt to commit massive fraud in the process of implementing democracy," said Feri.

Furthermore, Feri emphasized the importance of a critical parliamentary role, because this could be a door for the DPR to propose the right of interpellation, inquiry, or express opinions.

If it is proven to be fake, the neglect of Jokowi's factual diploma verification, which has occurred since Solo, could be proof of how the election organizers have poor quality and have a motive as a means of fraud.

And, Feri agrees with Dedi that there is another motive behind the alleged fake diploma case that has not been completed. It is not impossible, this issue was deliberately maintained in order to benefit Jokowi.

"Not only so that he (Jokowi) always appears in the media so that people talk about and maintain preferences and electability towards Jokowi and his family, but I suspect the end can end that there is no problem (from this diploma) at all. So at that time Jokowi's attackers collapsed, and Jokowi will benefit," said Feri.