President Jokowi Attends Chinese New Year Celebration

President Jokowi poses for a group photo during the National Chinese New Year Celebration at ICE BSD, Tangerang, Thursday (30/1). Photo by Anggun/PR

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has said that hard work is important to face the current global economic slowdown.

“’Business as usual’ will be very dangerous for our country’s economy because the world economy is declining and uncertain,” the President said during the National Chinese New Year Celebration with the theme of “United for Advanced Indonesia” at ICE BSD, Tangerang , Thursday (30/1).

On the occasion, the President also extended his message for the 2020 Chinese New Year, wishing health, wealth, and success to be bestowed upon all those present in the ceremony and all Indonesian people.

President Jokowi went on to say that everyone should be grateful for being able to gather in a ceremony involving many clans from Chinese descent. The diversity, he added, reflects the diversity of Indonesia which consists of different ethnic groups and religions.

“I am happy this morning that I can wear this shirt (red cheongsam). I see the chairman of the committee (of the ceremony) wears Javanese traditional clothes,” the President said, adding that only in Indonesia we can find 714 different ethnic groups and more than 1,100 regional languages.

“This is what we should be grateful for, we are diverse yet united as a countryman living in the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia,” the President said.

Also present during the event were, among others, Ibu Sinta Nuriyah Abdurrahman Wahid, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy, Minister of Religious Affairs Fachrul Razi, Minister of Education and Culture Nadiem Makarim, and Minister of State Secretary Pratikno. (RF/EN)

Translated by: Ridwan Ibadurrohman
Reviewed by: Yuyu Mulyani