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February 11, 2025 | 03:42 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin appointed Deddy Corbuzier as one of his special staff members at the Defense Ministry office on Tuesday, February 11, 2025. The announcement was made by the minister via his Instagram account on February 11, 2025, at 1:00 PM Jakarta time.
Along with Deddy, Sjafrie also inaugurated five other special staff members: Lenis Kogoya, Kris Wijoyo Soepandji, retired Major General Sudrajat, Indra Irawan, and Sylvia Efi Widyantari Sumarlin.
"I inaugurated Special Staff of the Defense Minister and awarded the Dharma Defense Medal at the Defense Ministry office in Jakarta," said Sjafrie as quoted from his Instagram account.
He explained that the appointment of these special staff members emphasizes the importance of strategic collaboration in maintaining national sovereignty. He added that the medals awarded symbolize recognition for their tireless contributions.
"With this new mandate, it is expected to bring forth innovations and policies that will further strengthen the national defense for the future of a stronger and sovereign Indonesia," he wrote.
Sjafrie also shared photos of his newly inaugurated special staff on his Instagram account. Frega Ferdinand Wenas Inkiriwang, Head of the Public Relations Bureau of the Defense Ministry's General Secretariat, has not yet responded to Tempo's requests for comment regarding the selection criteria for these appointments.
Deddy Corbuzier is a well-known influencer who frequently expresses support for government programs on social media. He previously sparked controversy after receiving the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel on Friday, December 9, 2022, from Prabowo Subianto, who was serving as Defense Minister at the time.
Deddy's honorary rank appointment met with diverse public reactions. Meutya Hafid, Chairperson of the House of Representatives's (DPR) Commission I and a partner of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the Ministry of Defense, expressed surprise at the news.
"I was also surprised. Honestly, I was surprised because it was not communicated to Commission I," she said at the DPR building on Tuesday, December 13, 2022.
However, Commission I stated that they had no objections to Deddy's honorary rank as long as the public received a clear explanation for the decision.
More recently, on January 17, 2025, Deddy faced backlash for his inappropriate remarks about children complaining about the Free Nutritious Meal program. He suggested that children should be grateful for free food.
He also described his approach to disciplining children, stating that he would slap his children if they complained about food.
Ai Maryati Solihah, Chairperson of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), considered Deddy Corbuzier's comments to constitute psychological violence against children.
"Of course, this is psychological violence against children," said Maryati to Tempo on Friday, January 24, 2025.
Maryati believed that Deddy Corbuzier's reaction to the children's complaints was excessive. She argued that children could experience psychological pressure and fear expressing their opinions after seeing Deddy's statements.
Hammam Izuddin contributed to the writing of this article.
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