Budi Arie Reshuffle Becomes Momentum to Uncover Online Gambling Cases
Former Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) of the Republic of Indonesia, Mahfud MD, assessed that the removal of Budi Arie Setiadi from his ministerial position was the right step taken by President Prabowo Subianto.
Budi Arie was officially removed from his position as Minister of Cooperatives and replaced by Ferry Juliantono, a Prabowo loyalist who previously served as Deputy Minister of Cooperatives.
According to Mahfud, this decision was appropriate because Budi Arie was deemed incapable of holding a strategic ministerial position.
“Budi Arie is indeed someone who is always being shouted about to be replaced. First, his capabilities. What he has done is unclear, showing no signs of progress, except for symbolic matters,” said Mahfud MD in a broadcast on the Terus Terang YouTube channel, Wednesday (September 10, 2025).
Furthermore, Mahfud also highlighted Budi Arie’s connection to the online gambling (judol) case that implicated several officials from the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kominfo).
“The case at the Ministry of Communication and Informatics cannot be separated from him. People find it hard to believe that a figure like this could serve as Minister of Communication and Informatics. The issue remains unclear, therefore, law enforcement must disclose the Kominfo case as transparently as possible, especially regarding gambling,” he stressed.
Mahfud believes that Budi Arie’s removal is not merely a political reshuffle, but could also provide a gateway for the government to uncover the main actors behind the online gambling network that has been causing unrest.
“If we are serious about law enforcement, this reshuffle could be an entry point. But let’s see how it develops,” Mahfud concluded.
