If You Want To Apologize, The Saiful Mahdi Case Is Actually Finished Long Ago

Illustration - USK Lecturer Saiful Mahdi (white shirt) with his attorney Syahrul (right) while giving a statement after undergoing an examination at the Banda Aceh Police Headquarters, (ANTARA/HO/Private Doc)

BANDA ACEH - The Chancellor of Syiah Kuala University (USK) Prof. Samsul Rizal stated that the Dr. Saiful Mahdi case should have been resolved from the start if the person concerned wanted to apologize beforehand.

"It should have been over long ago if he (Saiful Mahdi) apologized," said Samsul Rizal, in Banda Aceh, as reported by Antara, Thursday, October 7.

As is known, previously, in accordance with the decision of the Cassation Court (MA) which upheld the decision of the Banda Aceh District Court, Saiful Mahdi had to serve a three-month prison sentence and a fine of Rp. 10 million for his criticism in the USK internal whatsapp group about the results of the CPNS test for the campus Faculty of Engineering lecturer.

After the decision, dozens of civil society organizations and academics both at home and abroad submitted an amnesty to Saiful Mahdi to the President.

Now, President Joko Widodo has approved the amnesty. And today through a plenary meeting, the Indonesian House of Representatives has approved the granting of amnesty to the USK Banda Aceh lecturer Saiful Mahdi.

Regarding the granting of this amnesty, Prof. Samsul stated that amnesty is the right of the President, and Saiful Mahdi has been found guilty in this case.

"If amnesty has already pleaded guilty and asked for amnesty," he said. Prof. Samsul said that, to his knowledge, Saiful Mahdi had been asked to apologize by the senate commission where he posted the allegations in the case.

"As far as I know, Saiful Mahdi was asked to apologize by the senate commission where he posted accusing the Dean of the Technical Faculty of making mistakes in the selection of CPNS," said Prof. Samsul.