After about a month since the controversial appointment of singer/actress Maudy Ayunda as Indonesia’s G20 spokesperson, the Information and Communications Ministry (Kominfo) has spoken up against criticism of the selection.
Maudy, who’s 27 years old, is widely regarded as a scandal-free and wholesome role model mainly due to her impressive education history. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at the University of Oxford before later gaining an MBA and master’s in education at Stanford. She’s also well-known for her activism on education and youth-related interests.
As spokesperson, Maudy has been tasked with spreading awareness of Indonesia’s G20 presidency and the 17th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit taking place in Bali on Nov. 15-16 to the wider public, especially the country’s millennial and Gen Z population.
Despite the impressive resumé and unblemished reputation in the public eye, Maudy’s appointment has been seen as another “vanity appointment” by President Joko Widodo’s administration (remember when they appointed a celebrity doctor as spokesperson for COVID-19 matters?). Maudy’s lack of experience and prior capacity in dealing with diplomatic and economic matters have been the main points of criticism.
But that shouldn’t be a problem, Kominfo said, implying that Maudy is merely the face fronting a figurative brain meld comprising capable minds.
“Maudy isn’t actually alone in conveying information related to the G20 presidency of Indonesia. Because there are many issues covered by the G20, many interests we need to convey to the Indonesian and global public from the Indonesian government’s perspective, we saw the need for a team of spokespeople,” Kominfo spokesman Dedy Permadi said.
He added that high-ranking officials are tasked with announcing to the public matters related to crucial issues and public policies.
“So it will not be just Maudy. We emphasize with the selection, we think it’s important to reach the millennials and Gen Z population in Indonesia,” Dedy continued.
A number of foreign news outlets recently put the spotlight on Maudy’s appointment. Most notably, Bloomberg said in a story published on April 18 that Maudy “appeared to ignore questions about Putin’s attendance” in a recent G20 meeting in Washington DC during her first briefing earlier this month. The business news outlet also mentioned that the organizers told journalists to ask about her personality instead.
“As part of a team of spokespeople, her role is to report the G-20 meeting results that are relevant to Indonesia while sensitive issues would be handled by other representatives, Ayunda said in response to Bloomberg questions,” the outlet wrote.
