Recently, social media was once again stirred by allegations from Rismon Hasiholan Sianipar, a former lecturer at the University of Mataram, who questioned the authenticity of the undergraduate diploma and thesis of Indonesia’s 7th President, Ir. Joko Widodo, as a graduate of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). According to him, the approval page and cover of the thesis used the Times New Roman font, which he claimed did not exist in the 1980s and 1990s. His unilateral claim sparked controversy and debate among netizens. While many doubted the validity of his statements, others believed his narrative, which was presented alongside digital forensic analysis.
Dean of the UGM Faculty of Forestry, Dr. Sigit Sunarta, expressed regret over the misleading information spread by Rismon, especially since the former lecturer is an alumnus of UGM’s Department of Electrical Engineering. “It is unfortunate that a lecturer, whose role is to enlighten and educate the public, has instead propagated misleading claims,” Dr. Sigit stated on Friday (March 21) at the UGM campus.
He emphasized that Rismon, as an academic, should base his conclusions on facts and sound research methods. He argued that Rismon should not have examined only Joko Widodo’s diploma and thesis but also compared them with other diplomas and theses issued by the Faculty of Forestry in the same period.
Regarding the use of Times New Roman on the thesis cover and diploma, which Rismon cited as evidence of forgery, Dr. Sigit clarified that it was common for students at that time to use Times New Roman or similar fonts, especially for printing thesis covers and approval pages at local print shops. He noted that around the UGM campus, printing services such as Prima and Sanur (now closed) were available for thesis cover printing. “The existence of these printing services should have been known to him since he also studied at UGM,” he asserted.
It is known that while Joko Widodo’s thesis cover and approval page were printed at a print shop, the content of his 91-page thesis was typed using a typewriter. “Many students used printed covers and approval pages for their theses,” Dr. Sigit explained.
Addressing the issue of Joko Widodo’s diploma serial number, which was alleged to lack a cluster code and consist only of digits, the dean stated that the Faculty of Forestry had its own numbering policy at the time, as there was no university-wide standardization. This numbering system applied not only to Joko Widodo’s diploma but to all graduates of the Faculty of Forestry. “The numbers were based on student ID sequences, followed by ‘FKT,’ the faculty’s abbreviation,” he said.
Dean Sigit strongly condemned Rismon’s video content, which cast doubt on the legitimacy of Joko Widodo’s diploma and thesis, insinuating that UGM had issued a fake diploma. “For the record, Joko Widodo’s diploma and thesis are authentic. He studied here, his classmates knew him well, he was active in student activities (Silvagama), he took numerous courses, wrote a thesis, and his diploma was legitimately issued by UGM,” he affirmed.
Chair of the Faculty of Forestry Senate, Professor San Afri Awang, also criticized the misinformation spread by Rismon. He recalled his own experience using Times New Roman on his thesis cover. “I still remember going to Prima to print my cover. Back then, reputable print shops like Prima and Sanur were already available. As for typing on a computer, it was no surprise since typing services using IBM PCs were available around UGM. I used one to process statistical data,” said the professor, who was a senior to Joko Widodo.
However, Professor San Afri noted that not all Forestry students used print shops for their thesis covers. Some, especially those with financial constraints, opted to type their covers and approval pages using a typewriter. “Many of my friends who were financially struggling typed their covers and approval pages manually,” he recalled.
Once again, the professor expressed disbelief that individuals or groups continued to attack UGM by claiming Joko Widodo’s diploma and thesis were fake. He believed the allegations had become increasingly outlandish, fueled by baseless analyses. “This is just an attempt to seek attention. He (Joko Widodo) graduated from here, and the evidence is clear,” he stated.
Frono Jiwo, one of Joko Widodo’s classmates at the Faculty of Forestry, voiced concern over the misinformation circulating on social media. He confirmed that he and Joko Widodo were in the same cohort, enrolling in 1980 and graduating together in 1985. “We were in the same batch as Pak Jokowi, entering in 1980,” he said.
During their studies, Frono described Joko Widodo as a quiet person who is humorous among friends. “Pak Jokowi was reserved, but in conversations, he was funny—his remarks always made us laugh,” he reminisced.
Frono also recalled that Joko Widodo was fond of mountain climbing, having hiked several mountains in Java and Sumatra. However, Frono admitted that he rarely joined him on these trips. “Pak Jokowi often went mountain climbing, but I rarely did, and I don’t recall ever hiking with him,” he noted.
Regarding the diploma, Frono confirmed that his diploma looked the same as Joko Widodo’s, featuring the same font and bearing the signatures of Rector Professor T. Jacob and Dean Professor Soenardi Prawirohatmodjo, with the only difference being the graduation number. “My diploma can be compared to Pak Jokowi’s. They are identical except for the university and faculty graduation numbers,” he said.
As for the thesis, Frono stated that all students in their cohort typed their theses using typewriters, while the covers, approval pages, and binding were mainly done at print shops. “All theses were typed using typewriters. Although computers existed, very few people had access to them. The covers, approval pages, and binding were all handled by print shops,” he explained.
Frono further revealed that he and Joko Widodo applied for jobs at the same company in Aceh, PT Kertas Kraft Aceh (Persero). However, Joko Widodo worked there for only two years because his wife, Iriana Jokowi, was uncomfortable living in a remote pine forest area in Central Aceh. “The three of us—Pak Jokowi, myself, and the late Hari Mulyono (Jokowi’s brother-in-law)—started working together. After Pak Jokowi got married, Ibu Iriana seemed unhappy because the base camp was in the middle of a pine forest. So, Pak Jokowi resigned first, while Hari Mulyono and I stayed,” he recalled.
UGM Criminal Law Professor Marcus Priyo Gunarto stressed that Rismon’s accusations against Joko Widodo regarding diploma and thesis forgery must be proven. According to Marcus, there are two types of forgery under criminal law: fabricating a document that never existed and falsifying an existing document. Fabricating a diploma means creating a completely new document that never existed while falsifying refers to altering a previously existing document. “Both are crimes and carry legal consequences. It is unclear what Rismon is actually accusing—fabrication or falsification,” he stated.
Professor Marcus argued that the allegations against Joko Widodo and UGM were weak. The Faculty of Forestry at UGM has extensive supporting data proving that Joko Widodo attended classes, took exams, and participated in graduation. “He attended graduation, and there are official records of it. His diploma is real and can be verified at the Faculty of Forestry,” he emphasized.
Regarding the use of Times New Roman or similar fonts in Joko Widodo’s diploma and thesis, Professor Marcus said Rismon should compare them with other UGM graduates from the same period. “If other documents from that time show similar font usage, does that mean all of them are fake? That is not an academic conclusion. Many UGM diplomas and theses from that era used Times New Roman or similar fonts,” he stated.
The professor also dismissed claims that UGM was protecting Joko Widodo regarding the diploma issue. “Accusing UGM of covering up or acting solely in Joko Widodo’s interest is completely wrong and reckless,” he concluded.
Author: Gusti Grehenson
Photographs: UGM Public Relations and Frono Jiwo’s Personal Collection