Nadiem Makarim Controversy Renovation Of Workspace Telan Rp6.5 Billion In Today's Memory, September 10, 2021

Nadiem Makarim, who once served as Minister of Education and Technology for the 2021-2024 era. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA Memories of today, four years ago, September 10, 2021, the plan to renovate the workspace of the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Mendikbudristek), Nadiem Makarim with a total budget of RP6.5 billion has become a polemic. This condition has received criticism from everywhere.

Renovation is considered not to choose the urgency. Previously, Nadiem's task was added by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). At first Nadiem was given the position of Minister of Education and Culture (Mendikbud). Now it has increased to lead the Ministry of Education and Culture.

President Jokowi is satisfied with Nadiem's performance as Minister of Education and Culture. This narrative made Jokowi immediately add to Nadiem's workload. Jokowi inaugurated Nadiem as Minister of Education and Culture on April 28, 2021. Jokowi believes Nadiem can also take care of research and technology cases.

All because Nadiem is the founder of an online transportation company, Gojek. Nadiem also promised to uphold the ethics of his position. He promised to carry out his position with full responsibility. However, Nadiem recently served as Nadiem instead made controversy.

His ministry plans to renovate Nadiem's office. The total budget prepared reached Rp6.5 billion. The tender was contested by hundreds of participants. The plan is also to add new official workspace to special staff.

The Ministry of Education and Culture said the renovation was a follow-up to Presidential Regulation Number 62 of 2021 which mandates the merger of elements of research and technology. This means that the ministerial expert staff increased by five people. The plan turned out to be controversial.

Nadiem's desire to renovate his room was criticized and opposed by many parties. They consider renovations to have no urgency. It also does not support performance. Nadiem himself was asked to be sensitive to the condition of the people who had just been dizzy in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The minister who takes care of education and culture should show culture, namely the sense of crisis and empathy to help students who are lying down and refusing to use the budget for things that are not urgent," said Islamic scholar Azyumardi Azra as quoted by the Java Pos website, September 10, 2021.

Nadiem's desire to renovate his office continues to be a polemic on September 10, 2021. Rejection and satire arose everywhere. Mainly from national figure Susi Pudjiastuti. The former Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries emphasized that the big money could be used to build 10 new schools.

Not an ordinary school. However, the school is super complete. Schools equipped with advanced technology for distance learning. There are school buses and many sports fields.

The Ministry of Education and Culture also tried to respond to criticism by saying that renovations were carried out in all rooms on the second floor, not just the ministerial room. Renovation is still going on. This answer continues to bring criticism from the Indonesian people.

"The renovations carried out on the entire second floor of the Kemendikbudristek Building A were not carried out for the ministerial room, but the entire floor," said the acting Head of the Ministry of Education and Culture's Public Relations and Cooperation Bureau, Anang Ristanto as quoted on the tempo.co page, September 10, 2021.