Politics

Gibran Diploma: Solo KPU Admits Skipping Direct Singapore Check

Stateline MEDIA Newsroom•October 18, 2026•4 min read

Solo's KPU verified Gibran's foreign schooling using Ministry records instead of direct checks in Singapore, as debate over his diploma resurfaces.

Key Facts

Ketua KPU Kota Solo Yustinus Arya Artheswara mengakui pihaknya tidak melakukan pengecekan langsung ke sekolah asal Gibran Rakabuming Raka di Singapura saat verifikasi berkas pencalonan Pilkada 2020.
Verifikasi hanya berpatokan pada surat keterangan yang diterbitkan Kemendikbud, kemudian dikonfirmasi faktual ke Dinas Pendidikan Cabang Dinas Wilayah VII Provinsi Jawa Tengah di Solo.
Bawaslu Surakarta menyatakan verifikasi faktual dokumen pendidikan merupakan kewenangan KPU dan tidak ada laporan atau temuan terkait dokumen Gibran selama tahapan Pilkada 2020.
Putusan MK Nomor 01/PHPU.PRES-XXIV/2026 pada 6 Oktober 2026 menyatakan permohonan tidak dapat diterima karena pemohon bukan peserta Pilpres 2024; dalam pertimbangannya MK menyebut tidak menemukan bukti meyakinkan ijazah, sertifikat, atau diploma luar negeri yang setara SMA, tetapi jabatan Gibran sebagai Wakil Presiden tidak dibatalkan.
Sosiolog NTU Singapura Prof. Sulfikar Amir dalam kanal YouTube Abraham Samad SPEAK UP pada 15 Oktober 2026 menjelaskan Orchid Park Secondary School setara SMP plus kelas 1 SMA, sedangkan jenjang yang setara SMA penuh di Singapura adalah A Level atau Junior College.
Gibran merespons pada 7 Oktober 2026 bahwa dirinya menempuh pendidikan hingga jenjang sarjana di Singapura; pihak MDIS mengonfirmasi Gibran tercatat sebagai mahasiswa penuh waktu pada 2007–2010 dan menyelesaikan gelar BSc (Hons) bidang Pemasaran dari University of Bradford.

Solo KPU: Direct Check at Former School Not Mandatory

The General Elections Commission (KPU, Komisi Pemilihan Umum) of Solo City has responded to the Constitutional Court (MK, Mahkamah Konstitusi) ruling regarding the 2024 presidential election dispute, which touched upon the polemic surrounding Gibran Rakabuming Raka's diploma. The Chairman of KPU Solo, Yustinus Arya Artheswara, confirmed that the verification of Gibran's candidacy documents during the 2020 regional head elections (Pilkada) complied with Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), despite acknowledging there was no direct verification at Gibran's former school abroad.

“Rules do not mandate going directly to the school of origin. Based on our records, it was sufficient to factually verify the certification letter in Region VII of Surakarta City,” Arya stated. He explained that the letter issued by the Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemendikbud, Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan) was confirmed by visiting the Central Java Provincial Education Office Branch for Region VII located in Surakarta City.

Following confirmation from the authorized officials, KPU Solo deemed Gibran's educational qualification documents valid and eligible for candidacy. Arya noted that the technical verification process for foreign diplomas differs from that of domestic graduates.

Bawaslu: No Reports Regarding Gibran's Documents

The Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu, Badan Pengawas Pemilu) of Surakarta City also spoke out. Its Chairman, Budi Wahyono, stated that the factual verification of Gibran's educational records during registration was under the jurisdiction of the KPU.

In Solo, Wednesday (7/10/2026), Budi Wahyono clarified that along with administrative checks, KPU Surakarta confirmed Gibran's educational credentials with the Regional Coordinating Agency (Bakorwil, Badan Koordinasi Wilayah) 7, which subsequently issued a statement letter.

Bawaslu emphasized that it monitored the entire process of Gibran's candidacy in the 2020 Pilkada and found no reports or findings concerning irregularities in his educational documents.

MK Ruling and Gibran's Response

The controversy flared up again after the Constitutional Court read out the decision for case Number 01/PHPU.PRES-XXIV/2026 on Tuesday (6/10/2026). Constitutional Justice Arsul Sani stated that the foundational documents used to issue equalization letters, including certificates of attendance and academic records, do not prove that an individual completed a specific level of education.

Nevertheless, the petition was declared inadmissible due to legal standing issues. Constitutional Court Chief Justice Suhartoyo stated that the petitioners were not participants in the 2024 Presidential Election (Pilpres) and thus lacked legal standing. Gibran's position as Vice President was not annulled.

Responding to the ruling, Gibran expressed respect for the ongoing legal process. “If I hadn't graduated from high school (SMA, Sekolah Menengah Atas), I wouldn't have been able to attend university. I studied through to my undergraduate degree (S1, Strata 1) in Singapore as well,” Gibran told reporters on October 7, 2026.

Singapore Sociologist: Equivalent to Middle School Plus

Fresh scrutiny came from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore sociologist, Prof. Sulfikar Amir. On the Abraham Samad SPEAK UP YouTube channel aired October 15, 2026, Sulfikar explained the differences between the Singaporean and Indonesian education systems.

According to him, Orchid Park Secondary School, where Gibran studied, is at the Secondary School level. In Singapore's British-based system, this tier corresponds to junior high school (SMP, Sekolah Menengah Pertama) plus 10th grade (first year of SMA) in Indonesia, whereas a full high school equivalent is an A-Level or Junior College program.

Referring to KPU data, Gibran completed elementary school (SD, Sekolah Dasar) and the first two years of junior high school in Solo, then moved to Singapore to attend grades 9 and 10 at Orchid Park Secondary School. The Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS) confirmed that Gibran was registered as a full-time student from 2007 to 2010 and completed a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Marketing from the University of Bradford, UK.