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Author Revisits Jokowi Diploma Claims in New Book, Cites Moral Obligation
🇮🇩 Indonesia /Culture & Society

Author Revisits Jokowi Diploma Claims in New Book, Cites Moral Obligation

From CNN Indonesia · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Rismon Hasiholan Sianipar has published a new book titled 'Otentikasi Ijazah Joko Widodo' about Indonesian President Joko Widodo's diploma.
  • Sianipar met with Jokowi, who signed the book, and stated the work is purely scientific research unrelated to political interests.
  • The book revisits Sianipar's previous claims about Jokowi's diploma authenticity, which he now seeks to prove he was wrong about through moral obligation and scientific inquiry.

Rismon Hasiholan Sianipar has released a new book, 'Otentikasi Ijazah Joko Widodo,' examining President Joko Widodo's academic diploma. Sianipar presented the book to Jokowi on June 17, 2026, at his residence in Solo, Central Java, where the president signed it. Sianipar emphasized that the book is the result of independent scientific research, free from political affiliations, hatred, or personal preferences. He stressed that the work is not connected to any restorative justice process he is undergoing related to previous allegations about Jokowi's diploma.

This was signed by Mr. Jokowi, June 17, 2026.

— Rismon Hasiholan SianiparAfter meeting with President Joko Widodo and receiving his signature on the new book.

Previously, Sianipar was involved in authoring 'Jokowi's White Paper,' where he questioned the authenticity of Jokowi's bachelor's degree from Gadjah Mada University (UGM). In this new book, he aims to demonstrate that his earlier assertions were incorrect. "From the beginning, it is my moral obligation to prove that I was wrong. So I wrote a book (revising my initial opinion) so that we have morals, so there is scientific literacy," Sianipar stated.

This is purely a work subject to scientific principles, not subject to political affiliation, hatred, dislike, like, and so on.

— Rismon Hasiholan SianiparDescribing the nature of his new book on Jokowi's diploma.

According to Sianipar, President Jokowi responded positively to the book, encouraging its distribution to universities across Indonesia. "This must be placed in the academic world. Analyzed, researched, dissected in the academic world," Sianipar quoted Jokowi as saying. Sianipar plans to hold the first book discussion at UGM, fulfilling what he described as the president's primary request.

From the beginning, it is my moral obligation to prove that I was wrong. So I wrote a book (revising my initial opinion) so that we have morals, so there is scientific literacy.

— Rismon Hasiholan SianiparExplaining his motivation for writing the new book that revises his previous stance.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CNN Indonesia in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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