JAKARTA - Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa responded to a controversial statement by an alumni of the Education Fund Management Agency (LPDP) who was widely discussed on social media.
He alluded to the perception that underestimated the current national economic conditions, including comments from a LPDP alumnus who expressed his desire for his children to have foreign citizenship.
"Maybe you guys are tired, if we look at the global condition. Many people are saying 'Oh Indonesia is ugly', including the one yesterday who said his child should not be an Indonesian citizen," said Purbaya in the APBNKita press conference, Monday, February 23.
He emphasized that the prospects for Indonesia's economy in the next two decades are actually in a much better position, so those who doubt now will regret it.
"Maybe 20 years from now we will regret it, because we will be great in 20 years," he added.
In addition to conveying optimism about the future of the national economy, Purbaya also regretted the statement which was considered to be degrading the country.
He emphasized that the government would enforce the rules applicable to the LPDP, and the parties concerned were asked to settle their obligations, including returning the scholarship funds and interest.
"Basically, this is what we regret, so we will enforce the rules in the LPDP, so that the person concerned completes his or her responsibilities to the LPDP," he said.
He revealed that he had communicated with the LPDP President Director and the husband concerned, to return all the funds in accordance with the provisions, including interest calculations.
"I just talked to the LPDP Director, I just talked to the husband about it and it seems that he has agreed to return the money using the LPDP, the interest is calculated? (Ask the LPDP director), so it includes the interest, if my money is stored in the bank there is also interest, right," he said.
Purbaya emphasized that the LPDP funds are sourced from the people's taxes and a portion of state financing allocated to improve the quality of human resources.
"I hope in the future, friends who get LPDP loans, if they are not happy, they are not happy, but don't insult the country, don't do it, it's money from taxes and from some of the debt that we set aside to ensure that our human resources grow, but if it is used to insult the country, we ask for the money with the interest if that's the case," he said.
According to him, criticism or dissatisfaction is a natural thing, but it should not be accompanied by insults to the country.
He also ensured that strict sanctions, including blacklisting in the government environment, would be seriously imposed on those concerned.
"Later I will blacklist him, in the entire government he will not be able to enter, later we will see what the blacklist is like, so don't insult your own country," he said.
He also reminded other LPDP recipients to maintain their attitude and responsibility.
"If you are not patriotic, you are nothing, but don't insult the country, and I remind other friends from the LPDP and I make sure that this will be blacklisted seriously," he said.
Previously, a woman with the Instagram account @sasetyaningtyas uploaded a video that went viral on social media in which in the video, she showed the moment of opening a package containing a letter from the British Home Office.
The letter states that the second child has officially obtained British citizenship, while showing the British passport received along with the document.
"This package is not just a package, the contents are a very important document that changes the fate and future of my children, we open it. This is a letter from the British Home Office stating that my second child has been accepted as a British citizen," he said.
He also expressed his desire that his children have foreign citizenship in the future.
"I know the world seems unfair, but I'm the only one who is a WNI, my children don't, we try to make children with strong WNA passports," he said.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
