Jakarta. Meutya Hafid has been appointed to lead the newly renamed Communication and Digital Affairs Ministry (formerly the Communications and Informatics Ministry), where she aims to enhance digital security, combat online gambling, and protect citizens from illegal lending practices.

In her previous role as chairperson of the House of Representatives' Commission I, Meutya received numerous public complaints regarding digital security and personal data protection, which she intends to address in her new position. The Golkar Party politician is particularly determined to tackle online gambling, a growing concern for society, while also focusing on safeguarding citizens from illegal online lending practices. As the first woman to lead this ministry, she is committed to improving the digital environment, especially concerning issues that affect children.

"We must ensure that the internet is safe for children, protecting them from human trafficking, child pornography, and violence," Minister Meutya said in Jakarta on Monday.

Meutya is one of five women in President Prabowo Subianto's newly appointed Red and White Cabinet, which also includes Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, Bureaucratic Reform Minister Rini Widyantini, Tourism Minister Widyanti Putri, and Women Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Arifatul Choiri Fauzi.

She succeeds Budi Arie Setiadi, who has been appointed as the Cooperative Minister, and will be supported by deputy ministers Nezar Patria and Angga Raka Prabowo, both of whom previously served in the Communications and Informatics Ministry.

Born on May 3, 1978, in Bandung, West Java, Meutya graduated from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia, with a degree in manufacturing engineering. After returning to Indonesia, she began her career as a reporter for a television station.

In 2005, while covering the elections in Iraq alongside cameraman Budiyanto, Meutya was briefly taken hostage but was released three days later. She documented this harrowing experience in her book, 168 Hours in Captivity: Memoirs of an Indonesian Journalist Held Hostage in Iraq. In recognition of her work, she received the Elizabeth O'Neill Journalism Award from the Australian government in 2007.

President Prabowo Subianto's Red and White Cabinet consists of a total of 109 individuals from diverse backgrounds, including party leaders, academics, and professionals. This marks Indonesia's largest cabinet since 1966, contrasting with the 34 ministers and heads of government agencies in Prabowo's predecessor, Joko Widodo's cabinet. The current lineup is the largest since Indonesia's first president, Sukarno, formed a cabinet of 132 ministers after a failed coup, which was dismissed a month later.

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