Heaptalk, Jakarta — Director General of Informatics Applications (Aptika) of the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo), Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, declared official resignation as Senior Official of the Ministry of Communication and Informatics. (07/04)
His demission decision is made as a form of moral responsibility, as the Director General is technically responsible for the cyber attack on the National Data Center (PDN) in Surabaya on June 20th, 2024, which paralyzed public services, including immigration services. Consequently, the hacker encrypted around 282 data and demanded a ransom of around US$8 million, equal to Rp131 billion.
“However, the leak of the national data center is also technically my responsibility as the director general in charge of the government transformation process. I decided to take this responsibility morally. I should have handled this case well,” the Director General of Aptika, usually called Sammy, affirmed.
Following his resignation, Semuel affirmed that he would focus on digital transformation in Indonesia. According to him, developing Indonesia is carried out in more than just the government system. For this reason, he will continue to oversee Indonesia’s digital transformation from the private sector.
As additional information, Semuel served as Director General of Kominfo Informatics Applications from 2016 – 2024. He also held several strategic positions, such as General Chair of the Association of Indonesian Internet Service Providers (APJII) from 2012 – 2015 and Head of Delegation of the ASEAN Telecommunications and IT Minister MEETING (TELMIN ) from 2018 – 2019.
“I declare that as of July 1st, 2024, I have verbally submitted my resignation, and the letter has been handed over to the Minister of Communication and Informatics. I thank all parties who have worked together to develop Indonesia’s digital ecosystem. For this reason, I hope that digital transformation continues to run well. I apologize for plenty of shortcomings during my tenure.” Semuel, in his statement during the Press Conference on Thursday (07/04)
