Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Commission X of the House of Representatives has called on the public to respect and refer to Gadjah Mada University (UGM) official clarification regarding the authenticity of former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s diploma.

Commission X chair Hetifah Sjaifudian said the statement by UGM rector Ova Emilia, which confirmed that Jokowi officially graduated from UGM’s Faculty of Forestry on November 5, 1985, and was among university graduates inaugurated on November 19, 1985, should be treated as an academic matter, not politicized.

“Academic credibility must be safeguarded institutionally. Therefore, Commission X encourages the public to honor the university’s official clarification and use it as the main reference,” Hetifah said as quoted in a statement on Sunday, August 25, 2025.

She added that the rector’s explanation also provides momentum to strengthen public trust in university governance. “We must place this clarification as part of transparency and accountability in higher education,” she noted.

Hetifah underlined that the case serves as a valuable lesson for Indonesia’s education sector, especially in managing academic records in a systematic and accessible manner. Going forward, she urged the public and stakeholders to rely on universities’ official statements to avoid speculation.

“This clarification not only addresses public doubts, but also reinforces the commitment to strengthen governance in higher education,” she said.

The statement follows a video posted on UGM’s official YouTube channel over the weekend, in which Rector Ova Emilia, along with other university leaders, reaffirmed Jokowi’s status as a legitimate alumnus of the university.

“We have the data and evidence that pak Joko Widodo is officially a UGM graduate and that his diploma has been handed over to him,” Ova said.

While Ova declined to comment on copies of Jokowi’s diploma circulating online, she stressed that the document is the personal responsibility of its holder.

A Polling Institute survey released on Sunday also found that while 73.3 percent of respondents had heard of the fake diploma allegations, most did not believe them. Of those aware, 41.5 percent said they did not believe the claims at all, and 25.6 percent said they were unlikely to believe them. Only 13.7 percent said they believed the allegations, while the rest were undecided.

Polling Institute researcher Kennedy Muslim said the results indicate that despite the issue’s prominence in political discourse, the majority of Indonesians reject the claim.

“This shows that political hoaxes especially those targeting the legitimacy of a former president’s education have not succeeded in shaping public opinion. Most Indonesians remain rational in assessing sensitive issues,” the survey said.

The survey, conducted on August 4–7, 2025, interviewed 1,206 respondents by phone with a 95 percent confidence level.