President Joko Widodo (back to camera) and Vice President Jusuf Kalla talk with Indonesia’s third president BJ Habibie, fifth president Megawati Soekarnoputri, sixth president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Ani Yudhoyono after Independence Day celebrations at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Thursday (17/8).
The commemoration of Indonesia’s 72nd Independence Day at Merdeka Palace in the State Palace complex, Jakarta, on Thursday (17/8) was festive. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo, Vice President Jusuf Kalla and wife Mufidah Jusuf Kalla and guests wore traditional attire at the flag-hoisting ceremony and the flag-lowering ceremony. The people witnessed the beauty of colorful traditional attire from 34 provinces. Merdeka Palace represented a miniature Indonesia. It showed the richness of Indonesia’s diversity.
Before the cultural show preceding the event, President Jokowi, wearing Tanah Bumbu attire from South Kalimantan, walked to the erected tents and warmly greeted guests with limited security. The President said the traditional clothes had been selected to show the diversity of Indonesia’s culture and as a nation. “We are very diverse and colorful. This is Indonesia. It is to make us understand that we are very diverse,” the President said.
After the event, the President announced the best dressed. Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H Laoly in Nias attire; Regional Representatives Council Speaker Oesman Sapta Odang (Minang); assistant to presidential adjutant Syarif Muhammad Fitriansyah (Dayak); Tri Suswati Karnavian (Papua), the wife of National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian; and Agathi Suli Mahyudin (Dayak), the wife of People’s Consultative Assembly deputy speaker were declared the winners. They received bikes from the President.
After the flag-lowering ceremony in the afternoon, several people deemed to be wearing the best traditional attire were also given bikes. This time, the vice president, who wore Bugis attire in the morning and a Betawi outfit in the afternoon, announced the best dressed in traditional attire and handed them prizes. They were Frans Maksim, tribal chief from the Arfak mountain range, Papua; Yusak Rumambi (North Sulawesi); Ratna Dewi Budiono (Dayak); Tengku Johan Marzuki (Aceh) and Sumahartarti (Bengkulu).
Nationalism
Previously, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said the President did not want the independence ceremony to be monotonous. Therefore, all participants starting from ministers and state officials to invitees were asked to wear traditional attire. Aside from increasing nationalism amid the diversity of tribes, races and cultures, the purpose of wearing traditional attire was to make the ceremony colorful.
“They were asked [to do that] to make it colorful. Our nationalism is being promoted,” said Pramono, who wore Javanese and Balinese outfits.
Before and after the main event, guests were entertained with traditional music and dances. So, besides being solemn, Pramono said, the ceremony brought excitement.
In the past eight months, President Jokowi has often reminded the people about the diversity of Indonesia. Almost on every occasion, the President has underlined the importance of maintaining the diversity of Indonesia.
The President in his speech reminded people that Indonesia consists of about 17,000 islands, 514 regencies/cities, 34 provinces, 714 tribes and more than 1,100 local languages. The diversity is a blessing from God Almighty to Indonesians. The diversity is the strength of the Indonesian nation to become a prosperous and developed nation.
Presidential Secretariat deputy for media Bey T Machmudin said traditional attire was worn by the President to show the diversity of Indonesia, which consists of various tribes, religions, races and groups but is united as one Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. In his remarks at the plenary meeting of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) on Wednesday morning presided over by MPR speaker Zulkifli Hasan, President Jokowi wore Bugis attire and Vice President Kalla worn Javanese.
Zulkifli praised him. He said the President was like the most charming karaeng (Bugis nobleman) in Indonesia. Vice President Kalla, Zulkifli said, was the fastest man in traditional Javanese attire. The audience smiled and clapped hands.
The idea came because the DPD was the committee of the plenary session. As a representative of the regions, especially the provinces, it wanted to highlight the regional character during the plenary session.
National character
The traditional attire was intended to strengthen Indonesia\'s independence from colonial rule 72 years ago as a result of the unity of tribes, religions, races and groups across the country. “The unity should persistently be taken care of amid threats to national unity,” said DPD deputy speaker Darmayanti Lubis, who chaired the organizing committee.
The appearance of President Jokowi and Vice President Kalla in traditional attire at the MPR plenary session was also praised by others. Amarta Bumi King Sri Prabu Punto Djojonagoro from Kendal, Central Java, and Indrapura Sultan Indra A Osman from Pesisir Selatan, West Sumatra, expressed appreciation for the President and Vice President for conveying the message to the public to remember national character.
Punto, who is also chairman of the National Tribes and Cultures Assembly, said this was crucial given the threat of the degradation of national values the nation was facing.
It is only normal that all elements of the nation take part in maintaining the diversity and unity of the nation.
