Dialogue of President of the Republic of Indonesia During the Peak Event of the 2022 National Children’s Day in Teijsmann Garden, Bogor Botanical Gardens, West Java Province, July 23, 2022
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
My dear children, good morning.
Children
Good morning.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Good morning.
Children
Good morning.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Good morning.
Children
Good morning.
MC
Good morning, Sir.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh.
MC
Wa’alaikumsalam warahmatullah wabarakatuh.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Peace and prosperity be upon us all,
Om swastiastu,
Namo buddhaya,
Greetings of virtue.
My dear children, are you happy this morning?
Children
Happy.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Happy?
Children
Happy.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Healthy?
Children
Healthy.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Healthy?
Children
Healthy.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
No one gets a cough?
Children
No one.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
No one catches a cold?
Children
No one.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Can one of you come up here? Raise your hand. Wait a minute. Let me pick.
The little one, come here.
Come here, come here. What’s your name?
Rizal (Children’s Representative)
Rizal… Afrizal.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Rizal, where are you from?
Rizal (Children’s Representative)
From Kebon Sastra.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Where is your primary school? Primary school, junior high school, or senior high school?
Rizal (Children’s Representative)
Junior high school.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
or university?
Rizal (Children’s Representative)
Junior high school.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Junior high school? Where is your junior high school?
Rizal (Children’s Representative)
Ibnu Aqil Junior High School.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Repeat again.
Rizal (Children’s Representative)
Ibnu Aqil Junior High School.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Repeat again.
Rizal (Children’s Representative)
Ibnu Aqil Junior High School.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Ibnu?
Rizal (Children’s Representative)
Aqil.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
I can’t hear you.
Rizal (Children’s Representative)
Ibnu Aqil Junior High School.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Ibnu Aqil?
Rizal (Children’s Representative)
Yes.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Ibnu Aqil Junior High School. Alright. Do you want to see me perform a magic trick? You do? Alright, let me start. Okay, you see this. It’s empty, right? Empty, right? Sim sala bim.
Rizal (Children’s Representative)
Sim sala bim.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
A flower will appear. Repeat the spell louder.
Rizal (Children’s Representative)
Sim sala bim.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
[inaudible]
Here, here. Louder, sim sala bim.
Rizal (Children’s Representative)
Sim sala bim.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
You will see the flower.
Rizal (Children’s Representative)
We will see the flower.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Over there, shout louder.
Children
Sim sala bim.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
You will see the flower.
Children
We will see the flower.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
It won’t come up. We must use this wand, the magic wand. Again, sim sala bim.
Rizal (Children’s Representative)
Sim sala bim.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Sim sala bim. Point the wand here. Sim sala bim.
Rizal (Children’s Representative)
Sim sala bim.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
You will see the flower.
Rizal (Children’s Representative)
We will see the flower.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
We haven’t succeed. Once again, louder. Together.
Children
Sim sala bim. We will see the flower.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
We made it. We made it.
Children
[cheering]
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
We did it. Who want the (flower)? Come here! Here we go. Rizal. Okay, Rizal gets one bicycle. One bicycle for Rizal.
This book, can everyone see this?
Children
Yeah.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
This is a book. What is the book for?
Children
Reading.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
My dear children, you must study well. You must enjoy reading books. Okay?
Children
Okay.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
If I open this book? What do you see inside?
Children
Nothing.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Are you sure?
Children
Yeah.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Nothing? Shout it again, sim sala bim.
Children
Sim sala bim.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Sim sala bim.
Children
Sim sala bim.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
I will open the book again.
[pictures appearing inside the book]
Children
[cheering]
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Open the book again. I will open the book again, okay?
Children
Okay.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Sim sala bim.
Children
Sim sala bim.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Sim sala bim.
Children
Sim sala bim.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
I’ll open it again. It’s now colored.
Children
[cheering]
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Again. Sim sala bim.
Children
Sim sala bim.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Sim sala bim.
Children
Sim sala bim.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
It’s now empty again. Empty.
Children
[cheering]
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Who can do this? Wait.
You. Show them this. Open it here, here. This is how to do it. Right. Do it here so they can see it.
Open it, like this. Sim sala bim.
Children
Sim sala bim.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
One, two, three, open it. Empty.
Sim sala bim.
Children
Sim sala bim.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Sim sala bim.
Children
Sim sala bim.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Open it again.
Children
[cheering]
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
You’re so smart too. What’s your name?
Melia (Children’s Representative)
Melia.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Melia is so smart. You can bring this, please. Add one more bicycle. Wait, one by one. Come here first. Who want more?
Children
Me, me, me.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
My dear children, look at this one. Oh, this one is broken. This one is broken. I think this one is broken. Oh, wait. This one works. This one is empty. Empty, right? From here, it’s empty too. Anyone wants to see if this is empty too? This is previously empty. Empty. But let’s see here, empty?
Children
[cheering]
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Please, hold it. Anyone wants to take this? Here.
Wait, wait. My children, here.
It’s empty, right? It’s empty. It’s empty, okay? From here also. It’s empty, correct?
Say it now, sim sala bim. Together.
Children
Sim sala bim.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Sim sala bim.
Children
Sim sala bim.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Can you feel it? Is it empty?
Children
[cheering]
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Pull out the cookies. You can eat it. Take it. Okay, let’s wrap it up. Please give the child a bicycle too. Take the bike. Okay, everyone, now, since we’re here in this botanical garden, there are lots of trees. Name three plants around here. You, on the back row. Yeah, you come up the front. Yes, you.
Children
[cheering]
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Okay, what is your name?
Wafi (Children’s Representative)
My name is Wafi. Wafi.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Wafi, where is your primary school?
Wafi (Children’s Representative)
I’m from Bangka 3 Primary School.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Is it in Bogor?
Wafi (Children’s Representative)
Yes.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Alright, Bogor.
Name tree plants in this garden.
Wafi (Children’s Representative)
Orchid.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Is it correct? Can we accept, orchid?
Children
Yes.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Is orchid acceptable?
Children
Acceptable.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Okay, orchid is correct. Plant and tree are both allowed. Orchid is correct and then?
Wafi (Children’s Representative)
Magenta lilli pilly.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Louder.
Wafi (Children’s Representative)
Magenta lilli pilly.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Magenta lilli pilly? Is it correct? Magenta lilli pilly. Plant or tree. The last one?
Wafi (Children’s Representative)
Palm tree.
President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Palm tree? Is it correct? Alright, take the bike. Okay, my dear, I think that’s it from me this morning.
Once again, I wish you Happy National Children’s Day to all of you. Keep on learning, okay? keep on learning and learning. Don’t forget to pray, okay? Don’t forget to pray and pray, okay? Third, take care of your health, don’t forget to wear a mask wherever you go because COVID-19 is still around.
This concludes my statement. I thank you.
Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh.
(FI/MMB)