Constitutional Judge Grills Petitioner's Argument on Election Law Regarding O-Level Graduates' Access to University

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Constitutional Judge Arsul Sani questioned the argument presented by the petitioners challenging Article 227 letter l of Law Number 7 of 2017, which claims that in Singapore there is a bachelor's degree program accessible to O-Level graduates.

"Where can an O-Level graduate directly enter higher education without a pathway program, whether it be a foundation, matriculation, or diploma? Where is that?" Arsul said during the hearing for case number 382/PUU-XXIV/2026.

Arsul mentioned that his own child is currently studying overseas and is fully aware of the graduation requirements before entering university.

"So that's not true, the application. If someone claims that after O-Level, they can go to university, that's incorrect," Arsul stated.

He suggested that the petitioners revise their argument with factual evidence.

"This needs to be corrected because if it's wrong, the Judges will see it as incorrect later on," Arsul added.

According to Kompas.com, the O-Level General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level is part of the General Certificate of Education.

The O-Level qualification was introduced to replace the School Certificate in 1951 as part of education reform.

Furthermore, the O-Level qualification is aimed at students aged around 14 to 16 years and is generally equivalent to the final years of junior high school to the beginning of high school, specifically around the 10th grade.

Petitioner's Argument

The petitioner, Farhan Hilmy, an alumnus of Universitas Sebelas Maret Surakarta (UNS), previously argued that the international education system in Singapore allows a person to complete a bachelor's degree with only an O-Level qualification.

He stated that Article 227 letter l of Law Number 7 of 2017 only accommodates diplomas from conventional domestic formal secondary education, not from abroad like the O-Level in Singapore, which the petitioner considers equivalent to a senior high school diploma.

"In reality, in global interactions and international education systems like in Singapore, there are acceleration pathways that do not require completing the A-Level before using the O-Level as a requirement for further education, Your Honor," Farhan argued in the hearing.

In his petition, Farhan also noted that the lack of recognition for legitimate higher education diplomas as an alternative proof replacing senior high school diplomas in the qualifications for presidential candidates could potentially violate citizens' rights to be elected if they have graduated from higher education.

"This clearly discriminates and obstructs access to opportunities in governance as guaranteed under Article 28D paragraph (3) of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia," Farhan stated.

In his petition, he requested the Constitutional Court to declare the phrase "by educational units or secondary education programs" in Article 227 letter l of the Election Law as contradictory to the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia.

He asked the Constitutional Court to amend the article to include higher education units or ministries in charge of higher education matters for candidates who hold valid higher education diplomas.