The Polemic Of The LPDP Scholarship Of Presidential Staff Billy Mambrasar Evidence Of Discriminatory Treatment Does Exist

Scholarship recipients of the Education Fund Management Institute (LPDP) can postpone the study period for a maximum of two academic years if they pass the selection for CPNS acceptance, or are assigned to become ministerial-level officials. (Doc. LPDP)

JAKARTA Billy Mambrasar's Education Fund Management Scholarship (LPDP) has become the talk of netizens and has gone viral on social media platforms, especially X alias Twitter. Billy was accused of violating scholarship rules because of his status as a special staff of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

The owner's full name Gracia Billy Mambrasar completed his master's education at the Australian National University in 2014. In 2017, Billy passed the LPDP scholarship selection under the Ministry of Finance for doctoral or doctoral levels.

Before undergoing a study, Billy had attended the Class 128 Departure Preparation (PK) in October 2018 as a condition that must be carried out by LPDP scholarship recipients.

However, when he was appointed President Jokowi's staff member at the end of 2019, Billy submitted a postponement to the LPDP so that the doctoral study would be postponed first. The letter requesting a postponement on behalf of Billy Mambrasar was received by the LPDP for this reason.

The man who was born in 1990 has started his doctoral lecture in February 2023. This means that Billy Mambrasa has postponed his doctoral studies for six years. What makes the scholarship problem even more complicated, during the postponement period he underwent his master's degree at Harvard University again.

Referring to the LPDP's official website, scholarship recipients can postpone the study period no later than one academic year if the person concerned is sick, pregnant and/or giving birth to women, experiencing problems in obtaining visas, experiencing disasters, and outbreaks.

In addition, scholarship recipients can also delay the study period for a maximum of two academic years if they have passed the selection for CPNS acceptance, and receive assignments from officials at least at the ministerial level.

LPDP Scholarship Director Dwi Larso confirmed that Billy was the recipient of the LPDP scholarship for the scholarship selection results doctoral program in 2017. Regarding the period of delay which was quite long for up to six years, Dwi admitted that the man from Papua received the flexibility of the time that could be given to allow the implementation of the study.

"Billy was appointed by President Jokowi as the Presidential Special Staff at the end of 2019. Due to the appointment of the position, Billy has submitted a proposal to the LPDP so that the doctoral studies to be carried out can be postponed," Dwi said in a written statement.

"The flexibility provisions for granting study postponement times are generally applied to all LPDP scholarship recipients if they receive state assignments from minimum ministerial-level officials," said Dwi.

Meanwhile, regarding the suspicion that Billy received an LPDP scholarship during a master's degree at Harvard University when he was in a period of delay, the LPDP denied this.

Based on the provisions, LPDP does not provide scholarships at the completed education level. LPDP ensures Billy's scholarship distribution is carried out when starting studies in 2023.

"Untuk kegiatan Studi S2 Billy, dalam masa izin penundahan Studi tersebut, belum diatur secara spesifis sehingga belum bisa dinyatakan sebagai pelanggaran," kata LPDP.

Billy himself clarified his accusations of using LPDP scholarships for a master's degree study at Harvard University. The man who graduated from the Bandung Institute of Technology emphasized that the master's degree study program he took at Harvard was carried out with a Tanoto Foundation scholarship.

The National Coordinator of the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI) Ubaid Matraji through his short message to VOI emphasized that the postponement of starting the LPDP scholarship study should be adjusted to applicable regulations.

Meanwhile, contacted separately, a public policy observer from Trisakti University Trubus Rahadiansyah assessed that what Billy Mambrasar did was a violation.

"There is corrupt behavior there, because the rules should be two years, so he's not honest," Trubus told VOI.

"It shouldn't be allowed, because the staff is functional, not state officials, if the new minister is a state official. I see there is discriminatory behavior here," he added.

Trubus is worried that what Billy has done can be used as a role model by other parties, especially since the LPDP scholarship recipients have become a topic of conversation, including their reluctance to return to Indonesia.

"When he starts his doctoral studies, he should use his own custom, because it is not in accordance with LPDP provisions," Trubus concluded.

The case of Billy Mambrasar delaying his doctoral studies from LPDP scholarships for six years has only been caught recently, after being widely discussed on X. Reflecting on the case, it is evidence that there is no transparency regarding the rules for delaying studies.

Whereas transparency is an important basis for building strong relations between organizations and the public, one of which is information disclosure.

The spotlight given by netizens to LPDP is one of the impacts of the weak implementation of transparency. If this is not corrected immediately, it is not impossible that the reputation of the institution will be affected.