MEDAN | INDATANEWS.COM - The Legal Aid Institute (Lembaga Bantuan Hukum/LBH) Medan has filed a request to enforce a ruling issued by the Medan Administrative Court (PTUN Medan) in a dispute over the 2023 selection of Government Employees with Employment Agreements (PPPK) for honorary teachers in Langkat Regency.
The enforcement request concerns PTUN Medan Decision No. 30/G/2024/PTUN MDN, in conjunction with Medan Administrative High Court (PTTUN Medan) Decision No. 162/B/2024/PT.TUN.MDN and the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia's cassation ruling No. 345 K/TUN/2025.
LBH Medan Director Irvan Saputra, S.H., M.H., said the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia had previously rejected a cassation appeal filed by Langkat Regent (Bupati) Syah Afandin in the administrative case brought by 103 honorary teachers from Langkat.
The lawsuit concerned alleged irregularities and manipulation in the 2023 PPPK recruitment selection process. The Supreme Court rejected the cassation appeal through Decision No. 345 K/TUN/2025 dated January 22, 2026.
"In our view, the decision of the Langkat Regent was marred by numerous irregularities and manipulation and failed to ensure fairness in the selection process. That is why hundreds of teachers rejected the decision," Irvan said in an official statement on September 8, 2026.
According to Irvan, the Supreme Court ruling marked the culmination of a long struggle by honorary teachers in Langkat to seek justice. The case began with the 2023 PPPK selection process for honorary teachers in Langkat Regency.
Hundreds of Teachers Met the Minimum Requirements
Hundreds of honorary teachers who participated in the selection said they had achieved the required minimum scores in the Computer Assisted Test (CAT). Some participants even obtained high scores, while others recorded the highest scores in their respective categories. Nevertheless, they were declared unsuccessful in the selection results.
The result was recorded in Langkat Regent Syah Afandin's Decree No. 810/2998/BKD/2023 concerning the results of the competency assessment for the recruitment of civil servant candidates within the Langkat Regency Government, dated December 22, 2023.
Teachers' Struggle Leads to Lawsuit
Irvan said the honorary teachers refused to accept the outcome of the selection process. They subsequently took various steps to assert their rights, both through non-litigation and litigation channels.
Through non-litigation efforts, the teachers held hearings with the Langkat Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) and the Langkat Regency Government. At the national level, they also held discussions with various institutions and ministries, including the Directorate General of Teachers and Education Personnel, the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia, the National Human Rights Commission, the National Commission on Violence Against Women, and the National Civil Service Agency.
Through litigation, the teachers filed an administrative lawsuit with PTUN Medan.
"The teachers' struggle gained a new perspective when the Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia's North Sumatra Representative Office found maladministration in the implementation of the 2023 PPPK selection process. This concerned the procedure and implementation of the additional technical competency assessment, which should not have been conducted but was instead used as the basis for declaring the teachers unsuccessful. There were also procedural deficiencies in the planning and implementation of the additional technical competency assessment, which did not comply with the applicable regulations," Irvan explained.
According to Irvan, the Ombudsman's findings became one of the important foundations of the teachers' struggle. In addition, the teachers uncovered further facts that they believed indicated problems in the implementation of the 2023 PPPK selection process in Langkat.
Against this backdrop, the honorary teachers from Langkat filed a lawsuit with PTUN Medan. The court handed down its ruling on September 26, 2024.
In its decision, PTUN Medan partially granted the plaintiffs' lawsuit. The court also declared null and void Announcement No. 810/2998/BKD/2023 concerning the results of the competency assessment for the recruitment of civil servant candidates within the Langkat Regency Government, as well as the submission of curriculum vitae for the issuance of PPPK Personnel Identification Numbers (NI PPPK) for functional positions in the 2023 fiscal year, including its attachments dated December 22, 2023, particularly the summary of the competency assessment results for the recruitment of PPPK teachers in 2023.
In addition to annulling the announcement, PTUN Medan ordered the Langkat Regent to withdraw the same announcement.
The court also ordered the defendant to re-announce the results of the 2023 PPPK selection in Langkat Regency, using the Computer Assisted Test (CAT) results as the basis, particularly the summary of the competency assessment results for the recruitment of PPPK teachers in 2023.
PTUN Medan also ordered the defendant, together with Intervening Defendant II-1 through Intervening Defendant II-247, to pay court costs totaling IDR 7,810,500.
Case Proceeds to Supreme Court
Irvan said the Langkat Regent refused to accept the PTUN Medan ruling and subsequently filed an appeal with PTTUN Medan.
"On January 10, 2025, PTTUN Medan upheld the PTUN Medan ruling. The decision made clear that the selection process had violated the law and the principles of justice," Irvan said.
After PTTUN Medan upheld the lower court's ruling, the Langkat Regent continued the legal process by filing a cassation appeal with the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia.
According to Irvan, the Supreme Court subsequently rejected the cassation appeal. With the rejection of the cassation appeal, the case has become legally final and binding (inkracht), meaning the court ruling must be implemented.
Irvan believes that the legal process completed to date demonstrates that the court decision in the dispute over the selection of honorary teachers in Langkat has a strong legal basis for enforcement.
For this reason, LBH Medan has now filed an enforcement request with PTUN Medan, seeking the immediate implementation of the final and binding ruling.
Criminal Proceedings Over Corruption
Irvan also emphasized that the problems surrounding the 2023 PPPK selection process in Langkat were not limited to alleged irregularities in the selection process. According to him, the case was also connected to corruption offenses that had already resulted in criminal convictions against several individuals involved.
In the criminal proceedings, Saiful Abdi, head of the Langkat Regency Education Office, was sentenced to three years in prison. Alek Sander, who served as head of the Education Division of Langkat Regency, received a 2.5-year prison sentence.
In addition, Awaluddin, a school principal, was sentenced to two years in prison. Rohayu Ningsih, who also served as a school principal, received a 1.5-year prison sentence.
LBH Medan believes that the entire series of proceedings underscores the importance of enforcing the PTUN Medan ruling, which was upheld by PTTUN Medan and subsequently affirmed through the Supreme Court's cassation ruling.
Through its enforcement request, LBH Medan is calling on Langkat Regent Syah Afandin to immediately implement PTUN Medan Decision No. 30/G/2024/PTUN MDN, in conjunction with PTTUN Medan Decision No. 162/B/2024/PT.TUN.MDN and Supreme Court Cassation Decision No. 345 K/TUN/2025.
LBH Medan is also calling on the Langkat Regent to annul the announcement of the 2023 PPPK selection results for teachers and education personnel in Langkat Regency.
Furthermore, LBH Medan is urging the Langkat Regent to re-announce the 2023 PPPK selection results for teachers and education personnel in Langkat, using the CAT results as the basis for determining successful candidates.
LBH Medan hopes that enforcement of the ruling will provide legal certainty for the honorary teachers who have continued to pursue their rights through various channels, ranging from hearings with the government and state institutions to court proceedings before PTUN, PTTUN and the Supreme Court. (IDNC)
REPORTER: Darmailawati | EDITOR: Fik Sagala