President Jokowi Dons Bangkanese Attire During Annual State of Nation Address
President Jokowi is in the plenary meeting room of Nusantara Building, at the Senayan Parliament Complex, Jakarta, Tuesday (08/16). (Photo by: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat/Laily Rachev)
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo Tuesday (08/16) in the plenary meeting room of Nusantara Building at the Senayan Parliament Complex, Jakarta, is scheduled to deliver his state of the nation address at the annual session of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) and the joint session of the House Representatives (DPR) and the Regional Representative Council (DPD).
Upon arrival at 09.30 Western Indonesian Time (WIB), President Jokowi and First Lady Ibu Iriana Jokowi along with Vice President Ma’ruf Amin and his spouse Ibu Wury entered the venue.
On that occasion, the President dressed in paksian attire from Bangka Belitung Islands province.
“I am wearing a traditional costume called paksian, which comes from Bangka Belitung province and is colored in predominantly green with bamboo shoots patterns, which symbolize harmony. As for green, it typically symbolizes coolness, hope and growth,” the President said via his personal twitter account.
Meanwhile, First Lady Ibu Iriana looked elegant in a pink kebaya (Javanese long-sleeved blouses and dresses for women) with a matching hijab and a brown batik cloth.
In the afternoon, the President is scheduled to deliver the Government Statement on the Bill on the State Budget for the 2023 Fiscal Year and its Financial Note.
For the record, President Jokowi often wears traditional clothes from various ethnicities from across the country for state events.
For instance, at the MPR annual session in 2017, the President wore Bugis attire in the form of a gold Bugis songkok traditional caps and songket (traditional gold-threaded woven fabric) in orange and maroon shades. During the 73rd Indonesian Independence ceremony at the State Palace in 2018, the Head of State wore Acehnese attire.
In 2019, the President dressed in Sasak attire from West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) province, colored in brown with a combination of black, gold, and orange bottoms, equipped with a keris (ceremonial Javanese dagger).
In 2020, the Head of State wore Sabu Tribe attire from East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province while attending the MPR annual session.
Meanwhile in 2021, the Head of State wore traditional Baduy attire from Banten province and wore traditional pepadun clothes from Lampung. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat/UN) (RIF/EP)
