Jakarta. Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa urged the public to stay calm on Wednesday after his son caused a stir with a social media post suggesting former finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati was a CIA agent.

The Instagram post, written by Yudo Achilles Sadewa, read: “All praise is for Allah. My father toppled an American CIA agent who was disguised as a minister.”

The post appeared just hours after Purbaya’s swearing-in on Monday. It has since been deleted, along with Yudo’s Instagram account. The teenager later posted a TikTok video to clarify that his remark was a joke and not meant to be taken seriously.

Speaking at the Presidential Palace, Purbaya dismissed the controversy. “He’s too young to understand. He has been banned from posting on Instagram ever again. He’s just a child with ignorance,” the minister told reporters.

Yudo is now 19 years old, considered an adult under Indonesian law.

Purbaya added that his family was still adjusting to the sudden public spotlight. “We used to live a quiet life. Suddenly, everything we do is scrutinized. This is new for me,” he said.

In his TikTok apology, Yudo laughed as he admitted the CIA remark was a poor attempt at humor. “Madame Sri Mulyani is not a CIA or IMF agent. It was just a joke I shared with friends, but it went viral out of context. So, okay, I apologize,” he said. His TikTok account has since been set to private.

Screenshots of his other videos, however, have circulated online -- including one where he flaunted a Bank Central Asia (BCA) Priority Card, typically reserved for wealthy clients, while lecturing about “poor people’s mentality.”

Fresh Ministerial Challenges
The social media flap adds to the controversies surrounding Purbaya’s first days in office. A day earlier, the new finance minister was forced to apologize for remarks downplaying recent street protests.

On Monday, shortly after his inauguration, Purbaya described demonstrators as a “tiny fraction” of society who were “unhappy with their lives,” suggesting their anger would fade once they found stable jobs.

The comments triggered backlash online, with critics accusing him of insensitivity. On Tuesday, he publicly retracted the statement: “I apologize for the slip of the tongue. I stand corrected.”

Purbaya acknowledged he must improve his communication skills, stressing that job creation would be his top priority as finance minister.