Cabinet Secretary, Raffi, and Yovie Discuss Ways to Globalise the Indonesian Language
Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya wants the Indonesian language to have vocabulary that resonates globally. He discussed this desire during a meeting with two presidential special envoys and a special staff member, Raffi Ahmad and Yovie Widianto, at the Cabinet Secretariat Office in Jakarta.
In the meeting ahead of breaking the Ramadan fast, Teddy stated that they discussed various topics. “One of the main points discussed was the proposal to position the Indonesian language not only as a communication tool but also as creative capital and a strength of national identity,” Teddy said in his statement on Wednesday, 18 March 2026.
According to Teddy, the Indonesian language must go global. He then gave examples from South Korea and China, which have globally recognised vocabulary, such as ‘saranghae’ meaning ‘I love you’ in Korean and ‘xiexie’ meaning ‘thank you’ in Mandarin.
Teddy stated that the Indonesian language should go global through art, film, and music. “For example, South Korea continuously introduces several words in the Korean language in the arts, such as ‘saranghae’. In Mandarin, for instance, ‘ni hao’ (hello), ‘xiexie’,” said Teddy.
Therefore, Teddy along with Raffi and Yovie encouraged the promotion of 1-2 Indonesian vocabulary words to become global. “From the hundreds of thousands of Indonesian vocabulary words, there must be one or two that become global. Through music, film, and art, we spread the influence of Indonesian culture and language to the international world,” Teddy remarked.
Raffi Ahmad and Yovie Widianto are two celebrities currently serving as Special Envoys in President Prabowo Subianto’s administration. Both were appointed as special envoys by Prabowo shortly after the President took office in October 2024.
Raffi Ahmad is an actor, presenter, and entrepreneur. He is also the Deputy General Chairman for the Creative Industry Sector of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) for the 2024-2029 period. Raffi serves as the President’s Special Envoy for Music, Youth, and Arts Workers in the Prabowo cabinet.
Meanwhile, Yovie Widianto is a musician who has composed at least 136 songs. Yovie is one of the members and founders of the music group Kahitna. In the Prabowo administration, Yovie serves as the President’s Special Staff for the Creative Economy.