Jakarta. The head of Indonesia’s state-run scholarship agency has issued a public apology after one of its awardees triggered a social media firestorm by praising foreign citizenship — a controversy that quickly turned her into an online “public enemy.”

Sudarto, president director of the Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) under the Finance Ministry, said on Wednesday that both the agency and its alumni regretted the incident, which began with viral comments by scholarship recipient Dwi Sasetyaningtyas.

“On behalf of LPDP and all alumni, we sincerely apologize. We regret that something unnecessary happened and sparked public debate,” Sudarto told reporters in Jakarta.

He also reminded scholarship recipients to watch their words and conduct, stressing that their education is funded by Indonesian taxpayers.

“Please take care of your ethics, morals, and national values. Don’t forget — you are using public money,” he said, adding that every awardee carries a moral responsibility to society.

The remarks followed a viral video posted by Dwi, who now lives in the UK with her husband and children. In the clip, she happily showed off her second child’s British passport.

“My child is officially a British citizen. It’s enough that I’m Indonesian — my kids don’t need to be,” she said, smiling.

The video spread quickly and drew harsh reactions online, especially after netizens discovered Dwi was an LPDP scholarship recipient. While she initially apologized, her tone was widely seen as unapologetic, and she even threatened to publish a list of people who accused her of using state funds for personal gain.

Troubled Husband
The controversy eventually reached Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, who revealed that Dwi’s husband, Arya Pamungkas, was also an LPDP awardee and had failed to fulfill his mandatory service obligation in Indonesia.

On Feb. 23, Purbaya said Arya had been sanctioned and must repay his scholarship funds plus interest — an amount estimated at nearly €200,000 before interest. According to the minister, Arya has agreed to comply.

“I hope going forward, anyone who receives LPDP funding never insults this country,” Purbaya said.

Following that development, Dwi issued a second apology — this time without defending herself.

“I acknowledge my mistake in choosing my words and sharing them publicly. Whatever emotions were behind it, the impact is entirely my responsibility,” she said. “I sincerely apologize to anyone who was hurt and for the commotion caused.”

LPDP scholarships support Indonesians pursuing postgraduate studies at home and abroad, covering tuition, living expenses, and accommodation.

Dwi, a chemical engineering graduate from Institut Teknologi Bandung, received LPDP funding for a master’s degree at Delft University of Technology in 2015. After graduating in 2017, she returned to Indonesia and spent about six years working in environmental conservation, women’s empowerment, and social initiatives before moving to the UK to join her husband.

At the start of the controversy, Dwi said her family still identifies as Indonesian, explaining that one of her children holds dual citizenship due to the jus soli principle.

“We’re all still Indonesian. One of my kids has dual nationality by place of birth. I still pay taxes in Indonesia just like everyone else,” she said.

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