Surprise! Teddy Indra Wijaya Appointed As Cabinet Secretary By President Prabowo In The Red And White Cabinet

Teddy Indra Wijaya, appointed as Cabinet Secretary (photo: dock. instagram)

JAKARTA - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto officially appointed Major Inf Teddy Indra Wijaya as Cabinet Secretary (Seskab) in the Red and White Cabinet (KMP) which was announced at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Sunday, October 20. This decision is considered a big surprise considering that the previous Cabinet Secretary position was held by a senior figure such as Pramono Anung.

"Teddy Indra Wijaya, Cabinet Secretary," Prabowo said when introducing the ranks of ministers of the Red and White Cabinet. Teddy's appointment to Seskab added to the spotlight considering his career, better known as Prabowo Subianto's personal aide since 2020 when Prabowo served as Minister of Defense.

Major Teddy's figure is quite well known in the public, especially women, because of his calm attitude and his face often invites cheers. He even became a trending topic on social media during the celebration of the 2024 presidential election victory at Istora Senayan last February, where the camera highlighted him and the supporters immediately gave a boisterous speech when Prabowo mentioned his name in his speech.

This interesting incident occurred when Prabowo thanked his aide in the middle of the victory speech. When he heard the cheers from thousands of supporters, Prabowo initially looked confused, but then realized that what was being cheered was not himself, but the aide. In a joking tone, Prabowo even stated, "Fortunately he is still active [TNI soldiers], otherwise he will run for president."

Prior to his appointment as Cabinet Secretary, Teddy had gone viral several times on social media. One of the most memorable moments was when he picked up a woman who fainted during Prabowo-Gibran's grand campaign at Gelora Bung Karno.

Major Teddy Indra Wijaya graduated from the Military Academy in 2011 and is an alumni of the Taruna Nusantara High School. His career in the TNI was relatively brilliant, including his achievement in achieving elite US Army Ranger qualifications while attending military education in the United States. Previously, he had also been an assistant to President Joko Widodo's aide from 2014 to 2019.

The appointment of Teddy as Cabinet Secretary by Prabowo Subianto is not only considered a strategic step, but also a big surprise in the row of cabinet officials. The position of Cabinet Secretary is usually filled by senior figures with extensive political and bureaucratic experience, as was Pramono Anung in the previous administration period.

With this appointment, the ministers of the Red and White Cabinet will be officially sworn in on Monday, October 21, 2024 at 10.00 WIB at the State Palace, and are expected to immediately work on running new government programs under the leadership of Prabowo Subianto.