Archbishop: Pope Francis to Visit Indonesia in 2017

Jakarta Globe, Fatima Bona, Nov 13, 2014

Pope Francis gestures as he arrives to lead his weekly general audience in
Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Wednesday. (Reuters Photo/Tony Gentile)

Jakarta. Pope Francis will visit the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation in 2017, the secretary general of the Indonesian Bishops Conference (KWI) said on Thursday.

“The pope will come to Indonesia, to celebrate Asian Youth Day,” said Mgr. Johannes Pujasumarta, the archbishop of Semarang.

Johannes, who was speaking on the sidelines of a KWI meeting in Central Jakarta, said he could not yet confirm any details of the visit.

If the pope indeed manages to come to Indonesia, it would be the first papal visit since 1989, when Pope John Paul II celebrated a mass and visited then-President Suharto in Jakarta.

The apostolic nunciature in Jakarta could not immediately be reached for comment after office hours.

Approximately 3 percent of Indonesia’s population identifies as Roman Catholic, or about 7.5 million people. However, Roman Catholicism is the majority religion in some — primarily eastern — parts of the country.

Jokowi in Prime Spot at APEC

Symbolic: Indonesia’s president asked to stand between two of the world’s most powerful leaders

Jakarta Globe, Robertus Wardi, Nov 12, 2014

Russian President Vladimir Putin walks past US President Barack Obama
 as Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his wife Iriana and other world leaders
 and their spouses get into position for a family photo before a banquet in Beijing
on Nov. 10, 2014. (EPA Photo/Sergei Ilnitsky)

The spotlight is on Indonesia, analysts say, as president Joko Widodo stood in the front row between two of the world’s most powerful leaders, Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Barrack Obama during Monday’s photo session at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in Beijing.

“This is flattering for Indonesia,” University of Indonesia international relations expert Hikmahanto Juwana said on Tuesday. “[As host], China has the right to say who stands where [in the photo shoot].”

The placement, he said, signals China’s acknowledgement of Indonesia’s important role in the global political climate.

“Only [leaders] of important countries get to stand next to the host,” he said adding that during the 2011 East Asia Summit, which Indonesia hosted, former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono also got to decide who stands where in a photo shoot of world leaders.

“China needs [Indonesia] to mitigate tensions between [China] and many countries, including the US,” Hikmahanto said of the subtle meanings behind the placement of Monday’s session.

President Joko must play this important role, Hikmahanto said, as his predecessor Yudhoyono did during his administration, with the world looking to Indonesia as a diplomatic force, which can ease tensions between China and the rest of the world.

“But the president also suggested to the international community that [Indonesia] will carry out that role as long as we don’t sacrifice our national interests,” he said.

Political observer from the National Strategic Studies Institute, Irwan Suhanto said Indonesia’s strategic location also makes many countries to see Indonesia as an important ally.

“Jokowi is implicitly saying to the world be friends with Indonesia if you want to move forward,” he said.

Joko said he is surprised to find himself standing between Xi and Obama despite the presence of leaders from more developed and powerful countries.

“I was at the center. This is a symbol. People are fighting to make friends with Indonesia,” the president said.

The leverage had allowed Indonesia to be firmer in pushing its own agendas.

Responding to China’s proposal of creating an Asia-Pacific free-trade zone, Joko said Indonesia will not accommodate one-sided needs.

“We don’t want to support [the proposal] hastily. We must calculate first our products. What will benefit us. We don’t want to be trapped by their needs,” he said.

The president said he was more in favor of a partial implementation of the free-trade area, protecting industries such as fisheries and rattan, which in Indonesia are produced by individuals instead of large companies.

“We must be firm when others want us to open [the Indonesian market]. We don’t want others to flood our country [with their products],” Joko said. “I have said this quite openly that they were shocked. I want to get straight to the point, no time for diplomacy.”

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'Indonesia has played an extraordinary role in promoting pluralism,' American president says

Jakarta Globe, Robertus Wardhy, Nov 10, 2014

US President Barack Obama, right, gestures during a bilateral meeting with
 President Joko Widodo, left, in Beijing on Monday. (Reuters Photo/Kevin Lamarque)

Beijing. President Joko Widodo has promised to continue combating terrorism and extremists as he met US President Barack Obama for the first time on Monday.

Joko and Obama were attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Beijing this week, before departing to Myanmar to attend the East Asia Summit on Wednesday.

This is Joko’s first international summit as head of state, testing the former furniture businessman’s diplomatic skills.

Obama praised his Indonesian counterpart, calling Indonesia a model for nations with large Muslim populations.

“As one of the world’s largest democracies and also one with a large Islamic population, Indonesia has played an extraordinary role in promoting pluralism and respect for religious diversity,” Obama said, thanking Indonesia for its efforts to isolate extremists.

Obama said his country was keen on increasing its partnerships with Indonesia, stressing his interest in Joko’s flagship programs and reforms.

“I know that President Joko Widodo has a strong agenda and ambition toward reform and increasing the welfare of Indonesians. The United States is willing to become a partner in this reform process,” he said.

The US president noted Joko’s ambition to transform Indonesia into a world maritime powerhouse, saying that Indonesia could play a pivotal role in maintaining peace and stability in the region.

Joko said he would continue to forge cooperation with the United States to combat terrorism.

“We will continue it. Not just from a security perspective, but also through a cultural and religious approach to isolate and eliminate radicalism and extremism,” he said.

Indonesia a key partner

The United States has been seeking closer ties with Southeast Asian countries as a defense against what it sees as China’s aggression in pursuit of its claims in the South China Sea, as well as Beijing’s increasing economic influence.

Indonesia is seen as a key partner in this goal, as shown by Joko’s predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

To maintain relations with the new Indonesian president, Obama sent a delegation led by Secretary of State John Kerry to attend Joko’s inauguration.

However, Washington is competing with Beijing to draw Indonesia to its side as Chinese President Xi Jinping met first with Joko on Sunday, telling the new Indonesian president that links between the two nations ran deep in history, while quoting an Indonesian proverb to demonstrate emotional ties.

“Joko has a big challenge to maximize gains from Indonesia’s relations with big powers while maintaining neutrality,” said Bantarto Bandoro, an international relations expert at the Indonesian Defense University.

“But I think Indonesia has all the cards to do it as long as we play it correctly,” he added.

Shinzo Abe, Vladimir Putin

Later on Monday, Joko also met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who also expressed an interest in Joko’s maritime ambitions.

Indonesia and Japan “are both maritime countries, both countries must contribute to peace and justice,” Abe said.

“The Japanese government wishes to make some contribution in [Indonesia’s maritime] industry and the development of human resources,” he added.

Another world leader who held talks with Joko was Russian President Vladimir Putin, who sought to forge stronger economic partnerships with the new Indonesian government.

Partnerships between the two countries have mainly centered on the defense industry.

“Indonesia and Russia have good partnerships and histories,” Putin said.

“There is slow growth in terms of our economic partnerships. I hope in this forum we can discuss how to address this shortcoming.”

Joko welcomed more investment and partnerships from Russia, saying it had a lot to offer in developing Indonesia’s energy, transportation, agriculture and manufacturing potential.

In his maiden speech at an international forum on Sunday, Joko pitched his country as a prime investment destination to regional business leaders, pledging to slash fuel subsidies that have crimped the government’s ability to spend on social and infrastructure development.

Describing the $27 billion that Jakarta spends annually to hold down fuel prices as “huge,” Joko told the APEC CEO Summit that the savings would be used to build much-needed ports, railways and other infrastructure for the sprawling nation and help improve the livelihoods of rural residents.

Additional reporting from Reuters

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, second from right, and Chinese President Xi
Jinping, second from left, attend a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in
Beijing on Nov. 9, 2014. (Reuters Photo/Jason Lee)

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Grisly Hong Kong murders spark banker backlash

Yahoo – AFP, Judy Ngao, 9 Nov 2014

Hong Kong's Wanchai district where the upmarket apartment of British expatriate 

Rurik Jutting, who has been accused of murder, is located (AFP Photo/Philippe Lopez)

Hong Kong (AFP) - The murder of two young Indonesian women in Hong Kong allegedly by a British expatriate has sparked a backlash against wealthy Western bankers accused of treating the financial hub as their own personal playground.

The victims were found mutilated in 29-year-old Rurik Jutting's upmarket apartment in Wanchai, streets away from the neon-lit bars of the neighbourhood's famous red-light district -- popular with expats and tourists at all hours.

Wanchai's neon-lit bars are popular 

with expats and tourists at all hours

(AFP Photo/Philippe Lopez)

Jutting, who has been charged with the double murder and will next appear in court Monday, was a regular on the strip, and the reported discovery of sex toys and cocaine in his apartment have added to the debauched portrayal of the former Bank of America Merrill Lynch securities trader.

The women's brutal murders and the accusations against Jutting have touched a nerve, triggering criticism of privileged foreign workers in the city's famous finance industry.

"Just like bankers anywhere, they earn top dollar without having many social responsibilities in Hong Kong," says C.H. Lo, 37, a jeweller who has lived in the city most of his life.

"Their disposable income and immoral lifestyle creates a demand for high-end drugs and prostitution.

"The Chinese believe the greatest virtue is to take care of one's own parents when they grow old. But expat bankers generally display a 'work hard, play hard' attitude."

English and Chinese language social media in Hong Kong has lit up with criticism of the behaviour of some Westerners in the wake of the killings.

The windows of the upmarket apartment

 of British expatriate Rurik Jutting, who is

 accused of murder, in Hong Kong's 

Wanchai district, pictured on November 7, 

2014 (AFP Photo/Philippe Lopez)

"A lot of losers from the West think they are God once they come to Asia. Too bad they give all western expats a bad reputation," said one response to a news story of Jutting's arrest posted online.

"Some expats get to Asia and develop a huge ego and superiority complex, thinking they are above the law, doing things they would never consider in their home countries," said another.

Foreigners also expressed fear for their own reputation.

"Agree, expats should behave better, I can feel our reputation going down year after year because of these scumbags," one post said.

Growing divide

With ongoing pro-democracy protests in the city spurred on by its increasing wealth disparity, there are also those who see well-paid bankers as part of that wider problem.

Hong Kong has one of the largest wealth gaps in the developed world, and a fifth of the population lives in poverty, according to charity Feeding Hong Kong.

"Expat bankers are overpaid and that has contributed to the wealth gap," said 31-year-old media worker Maggie Ho.

Hong Kong has one of the largest wealth

gaps in the developed world, and a fifth of the

population lives in poverty, according to

 charity Feeding Hong Kong (AFP Photo/

Dale de la Rey)

"I think locals have been rather wary of bankers following the Lehman Brothers crisis," she added, referring to the 2008 collapse of the US banking giant.

Jutting's case has also sparked an outpouring of confessional tales from those inside the industry -- stories which fuel its critics.

"The hardest thing to do is to ask corporations and people for money. That's the essence of banking. We had to entertain people a lot," one Hong Kong banker, who declined to be named, told AFP.

"Here, you have access to a broader range of prostitution and it's at a fraction of the price than in New York.

"At one bachelor party in a (hotel) penthouse suite, we would have prostitutes performing a soapy strip dance in the bathroom, while other prostitutes would be performing oral sex on the couch. That's the essence of being a trader -- it's a rock star fantasy and mentality," he said.

"I remember one banker who had so much money that at one recreational softball game, he was just handing out a lot of cocaine."

Wanchai's neon-lit bars are popular with

 expats and tourists at all hours (AFP

Photo/Philippe Lopez)

'Emotional and chemical' highs

The city offers an intoxicating new world for many young Westerners, but some are unable to handle the adjustment, said another Hong Kong banker who also did not want to be named.

"It's easy for the dorky kid in high school to suddenly find himself in the cool crowd at the hottest nightclub, and to keep this high -- emotional as well as chemical -- he's more than willing to throw his inflated disposable income at whoever can keep it going," he said.

But while there are those who go to extremes, bankers should not all be tarred with the same brush, he added.

"There are many bankers who choose not to be a complete jackass... Alcohol is the only thing I consume and in moderation."

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Indonesia’s First Family Blazes a Modest Trail in Southeast Asia

Jakarta Globe – AFP, Nov 04, 2014

From left to right: Kahiyang Ayu, Kaesang Pangarep, President Joko Widodo, First
Lady Iriana Widodo and Gibran Rakabuming Raka appear at the Jakarta's governor
house on Oct. 20, 2014 before the presidential inauguration. (ID Photo/Emeral)

Jakarta. With a wife who eschews designer outfits and a daughter happy to queue at public health clinics, Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s family are setting a modest example in a region where leaders’ relatives are better known for greed and corruption.

Southeast Asia’s ruling families have not generally espoused austerity — from the controversial children of late Indonesian dictator Suharto to the wife of Malaysia’s premier, who is criticized as a spendthrift, and the excesses of Brunei’s royals.

In contrast, the wife, daughter and two sons of Widodo, known as Jokowi, appear humble and down to earth, more representative of the country’s rapidly emerging middle class than an aloof elite.

“Even now Jokowi has been elected president, they still want to live like other ordinary people,” Anggit Noegroho, a friend of Widodo’s who helped him during numerous political campaigns and has known the family for a decade, told Agence France-Presse.

They present the same image as 53-year-old Widodo himself, Indonesia’s first president from outside the political and military elites, who rose from a modest background and has pledged clean governance in one of the world’s most corrupt countries.

However observers caution that it could be tough going for a family unused to intense public scrutiny — and point out it is not hard for them to look good, given what went before.

The children of Widodo’s predecessor, ex-general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, sometimes courted controversy, with one of his sons having to fend off accusations of corruption, but it was the offspring of Suharto who provoke the most anger in Indonesia.

His six children allegedly amassed fortunes by enjoying privileged access to lucrative business deals during his three-decade rule, which was marked by massive corruption. He was toppled in 1998 by the Asian financial crisis.

The most controversial is youngest son Hutomo Mandala Putra, popularly known as Tommy.

A playboy with a taste for flashy cars, he served four years of a 15-year prison term for hiring hitmen to murder a judge who had sentenced him to jail for corruption. He was released in 2006.

Rejects fancy handbags

When it comes to Widodo’s family, his wife Iriana, 51, has forgone the designer clothes and fancy handbags beloved of many first ladies, normally opting for plain shirts and trousers.

His eldest son has set up a catering business in the family’s hometown of Solo, on Java, and drives a Mazda hatchback.

While his family spent several days in Jakarta before Widodo’s Oct. 20 inauguration, the 27-year-old did not leave until the day before due to his heavy workload.

“I will be able to leave the city only once my catering jobs are done,” he told the Jakarta Post newspaper.

When Widodo’s daughter, Kahiyang Ayu, injured her hand, the 23-year-old reportedly insisted on being taken to a community health centre instead of an expensive private clinic and waited to be seen by a doctor.

A blog by Widodo’s youngest son, 17-year-old Kaesang Pangarep, has shone a light on the first family’s private life, with tales of his father playing practical jokes and worries about what to wear to school adding to the sense they are just normal, middle-class folk.

The family is not poor — Widodo used to be a successful businessman — and one area where they have splashed out is the children’s education. The two sons both attended high school in Singapore, while the eldest did business courses in the city-state and Australia.

Even in wealthy Singapore, however, the youngest son said that his parents did not spoil him.

“I very rarely take the MRT (subway) because it is more expensive than a bus ride,” he wrote on his blog during his time in the city-state, adding that his mother had refused to increase his meager pocket money allowance.

He said that his mother told him: “Your pocket money shouldn’t be a lot, so that you know the misery of living in another country.”

While they have mostly been praised by the public and media, it is still early days for the family and there are already signs that everything might not run smoothly.

The eldest son faced criticism recently for responding angrily to reporters’ questions about why he did not appear with his father during the presidential campaign.

“This man is too sensitive. He is not like his father,” one Twitter user commented.

Agence France-Presse

Minister Promises Bill to Protect Religious Minorities

Jakarta Globe, Adelia Anjani Putri, Oct 30, 2014

Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin says all Indonesians should
 be allowed to follow and practice their own beliefs, free from persecution.
(Antara Photo/Mohamad Hamzah)

Jakarta. The lone minister to survive the cut to President Joko Widodo’s cabinet from the previous administration has unveiled plans to draft a bill that would afford unprecedented protection to religious minority groups, continuing where he left off in his battle against rising religious intolerance.

“Over the next six months, we will work on this bill to protect all religious groups, including those outside the six main religions of Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism,” Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, the minister for religious affairs, said at a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday.

“The bill will protect everyone’s religious right, especially the rights guaranteed by the Constitution,” he said. “First, the right to believe in whatever they choose to put their faith in. There should be a guarantee that everyone is free to choose their own religion or belief. Second, the independence for anyone to practice their belief.”

He added he hoped that “the bill can improve the quality of living in Indonesia.”

Lukman was inaugurated in June, in the twilight of the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono administration, following the naming of the previous minister, Suryadharma Ali, as a graft suspect. In the short time since then he has shown a more conciliatory stance than his predecessors on engaging with minority religious groups, including Shiite and Ahmadi Muslims — with whom he held an unprecedented breaking of the fast during Ramadan in July.

Suryadharma, by contrast, was known for his hostility toward these groups, including a public call for the Ahmadis to recant their “heretical” beliefs.

Lukman said the new bill would target the closures and attacks on churches and Shiite and Ahmadiyah mosques, one of the most egregious symptoms of the quasi-institutional discrimination of religious minorities stemming from the near-impossible administrative requirements laid out in a 2006 joint decree from the Religious Affairs Ministry and Home Affairs Ministry for congregations of any faith seeking a permit to build a house of worship.

“The bill will have many implications, including in terms of the permit to build places of worship,” the minister said. “There should be a clearer and stronger regulation for this issue. Of course we need suggestions from the public so we can accommodate their needs and interests.”

One of the requirements stipulated in the joint decree is for applicants to get the signed approval for their house of worship from the heads of 60 neighboring households of a different faith. In Muslim majority Indonesia, Christian, Shiite and Ahmadi applicants have almost invariably failed to get the required number, while a few cases have been reported in parts of eastern Indonesia, which has a large Christian population, of Muslims not being allowed to build mosques.

Lukman also promised to address the long-running issue of Shiite and Ahmadi communities being driven from their homes by mobs of Sunni Muslims — often with the support of the local police.

“It’s a complex problem,” he conceded. “It involves things related to officials like the police, issues with local governments, problems within the local community, and admittedly, problems related to religious beliefs.

“The steps taken should be integrated and not partial. We’re working on it. Now we’re communicating intensively with local governments where refugees [of religious pogroms] are staying. Hopefully we can come up with the solutions,” Lukman said.

He added his ministry would also work with local Islamic clerics — who are often instrumental in inciting hostilities against minority groups — to get them to embrace religious tolerance.

“We’ll hold interfaith forums for religious teachers to make sure that everyone has the same standing,” he said. “Even though we have different beliefs, all religions teach the same lesson of promoting humanity — making humans human.”

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"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems  (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it),  Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse),  Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version) 

“.   New Tolerance

Look for a softening of finger pointing and an awakening of new tolerance. There will remain many systems for different cultures, as traditions and history are important to sustaining the integrity of culture. So there are many in the Middle East who would follow the prophet and they will continue, but with an increase of awareness. It will be the increase of awareness of what the prophet really wanted all along - unity and tolerance. The angel in the cave instructed him to "unify the tribes and give them the God of Israel." You're going to start seeing a softening of intolerance and the beginning of a new way of being.

Eventually, this will create an acknowledgement that says, "You may not believe the way we believe, but we honor you and your God. We honor our prophet and we will love you according to his teachings. We don't have to agree in order to love." How would you like that? The earth is not going to turn into one belief system. It never will, for Humans don't do that. There must be variety, and there must be the beauty of cultural differences. But the systems will slowly update themselves with increased awareness of the truth of a new kind of balance. So that's the first thing. Watch for these changes, dear ones. ...."

Puan: Indonesia Health Card and Smart Card Available Next Month

Jakarta Globe, Oct 28, 2014

A student rides a bicycle through an obstacle course during an agility test at a
school in Solo, Central Java, in this June 17, 2013, file photo. (JG Photo/Ali Luthfi)

Jakarta. President Joko Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla’s much-vaunted Indonesia Health Card and Indonesia Smart Card will be available next month.

Puan Maharani, the coordinating minister of human resources development and cultural affairs, said both cards would be launched “as early as next month,” according to Kompas.com.

The cards, which will be similar to the Jakarta Health Card (KJS) and Jakarta Smart Card (JKP) implemented when Joko was governor of the capital, provide a number of benefits to holders. They provide free health insurance for the poor; guarantee 12 years free education and provide for students’ educational needs; the cards also guarantee free higher education for poor students who pass the university entrance exams.

Joko and Kalla promised to introduce the cards to improve the nation’s health and education sectors during their presidential campaign.

Puan said she believed the cards were part of Joko’s “Mental Revolution,” as access good education and health services would improve the people’s quality of life.

A further ministerial meeting was planned to discuss details of the cards’ launch on Wednesday.

Indonesian Para-Swimmer Breaks World Record

Jakarta Globe, Oct 24, 2014

Indonesian para-swimmer Mulyana.
(JG Photo)

Jakarta. Indonesian swimmer Mulyana on Thursday broke the world record in the men’s 50 meters butterfly S4 event at the Asian Para Games.

Mulyana posted a record 39.44 seconds on the distance to win a gold medal at the games in Incheon, South Korea. He was 1.04 second faster than Slovenian Darko Duric at the London Paralympics in 2012.

The S4 category is for swimmers with coordination problems affecting all limbs but predominantly in the legs.

Thailand’s Somchai Doungkaew took second place with a time of 46.41 and third place was for China’s Jin Zhipeng (59.75).

Indonesian Steven Sualang Tangkilisan won silver in the men’s 100 meter backstroke S10 (below the elbow or below the knee amputees). He finished in 1 minute and 9.94 seconds. China’s Lin Furong took first place with 1:08.74 and Fraidden Dawan of Malaysia came in third with 1:10.63.

In the women’s -79kg powerlifting, paralympian Ni Nengah Widiasih lifted a total of 90 kilograms to bag a bronze. Taiwan’s Lin Tzu-Hui topped the standing by posting a total of 103kg to win gold. Jordanian Tharwh Tayseer Hamdan Alhajaj finished second with 108kg.

Indonesia has so far collected nine gold medals, nine silver, and 17 bronzes at this year’s Asian Para Games.

Indonesians Take to Social Media to Celebrate Jokowi’s Inauguration

Jakarta Globe, Oct 20, 2014

Indonesian President Joko Widowo, center, and first lady Ariana, and Vice President
Jusuf Kalla, fourth right, and his spouse Mufidah Kalla, third right, and former President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, second left, former first lady Ani Yudhoyono, left, former
 Vice President Boediono, second right, and his spouse Herawati, right, People's
 Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker Zulkifli Hasan, fourth left, and his spouse Futri
Zulya Safitry, third left, pose for photographers after the inauguration ceremony at the
House of Representative in Jakarta on Oct. 20, 2014. (AFP Photo/ Bay Ismoyo)

Jakarta. Indonesians took on their social media accounts to welcome the country’s seventh president, Joko Widodo, who was inaugurated on Monday.

The hashtag #PresidenJokowi has been the top trending topic on Twitter worldwide since Monday morning.

Social media users in Jakarta took to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Path to post pictures of the street celebrations taking place at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle.

For a while “Jalesveva Jayamahe”, the motto of the Indonesian Navy, also made it onto the worldwide trending topic list, after Joko cited the expression, which is Sanskrit for “In the sea we will triumph,” during his inauguration address to emphasize the importance of Indonesia becoming a global maritime axis.

Various versions of posters depicting Joko moments before his inauguration with quotations have been circulated all over the Internet as well.

Ade Mardiyanti, an Indonesian living in Sydney, posted a picture of her standing next to a television showing footage of Joko’s inauguration ceremony on her Facebook account.

“Chose to stay at home after I finished work only to witness the inauguration of Indonesia’s new president. Rocky road ahead for him. Good luck, Mr. President!” Ade wrote.

Renowned film director Joko Anwar also tweeted several pictures of the celebration.

“Rock n’Roll, Mr. President,” Joko said.

A music concert is scheduled to start at 4 p.m to celebrate the inauguration with a number of musicians including Indonesian rock band Slank and British band Arkarna scheduled to perform. Joko is famous for being a huge fan of heavy metal.

Tens of thousands are expected to attend a concert held to honor President 

Joko Widodo at the National Monument on Monday. (AFP Photo/Adek Berry)

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Meet Indonesia’s New First Family

From left to right: Kahiyang Ayu, Kaesang Pangarep, President Joko Widodo, First

 Lady Iriana Widodo and Gibran Rakabuming Raka appear at the Jakarta's governor

house on Oct. 20, 2014 before the presidential inauguration. (ID Photo/Emeral)

From the Social President, a Tweet for Forgiveness

Jakarta Globe, Oct 19, 2014

Photos posted by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Sunday showed him
 and his wife at the start of his term in 2004, left, and heading away after 10 years in
office. (Photos courtesy of @SBYudhoyono)

Jakarta. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono marked his last day in office with a message to his more than five million followers on Twitter, apologizing for any offense he may have caused in his decade as head of state.

“Please forgive me if in the 10 years of my leading this beloved country, I have said/done anything that hasn’t pleased you, the people of Indonesia,” he wrote on his account, @SBYudhoyono. The message was signed *SBY*, indicating it came from the president himself and not his social media team.

“In truth, with all our flaws, we wanted to do the best for the people and the country,” he added, signing off “with love.”

Pergi tampak punggung. pic.twitter.com/2tagNNjWIK
— S. B. Yudhoyono (@SBYudhoyono) October 19, 2014

The tweets were preceded by a picture of Yudhoyono and his wife, Kristiani, arriving at the State Palace exactly 10 years ago tomorrow, and followed by another picture, undated, of the first couple walking hand in hand away from the camera.

The hashtag #MakasihSBY (ThanksSBY) was the third-highest trending topic on Twitter in Indonesia, with more than 30,000 tweets using the hashtag.

Also on Sunday, thousands of members and supporters of Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party marched from the National Monument (Monas) to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta in a show of appreciation for the outgoing president.

Yudhoyono, the first directly elected president in Indonesia’s history, will be replaced tomorrow by Joko Widodo, the winner of the July 9 election.

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President Joko Widodo, left, waves with former President Susilo Bambang

 Yudhoyono at the presidential palace in Jakarta on Oct. 20, 2014. (Reuters

Photo/Mast Irham/Pool)

Jokowi and Prabowo Meet, Pledge to Maintain Stability in Govt

Jakarta Globe, Adelia Anjani Putri & Basten Gokkon, Oct 17, 2014

This file picture taken in Jakarta on July 20, 2014 shows Prabowo Subianto, left,
gesturing next to President-elect Joko Widodo, right, at the presidential palace in
Jakarta. (AFP Photo/Adek Berry)

Jakarta. President-elect Joko Widodo and Prabowo Subianto, meeting for the first time in about three months, said that they would work together to maintain stability in government.

“[Prabowo] said to me that, in the future, should there be anything to be criticized in our administration, I’m ready because stability in state management is very important,” said Joko, who went to Prabowo’s house in South Jakarta on Friday morning.

“There’s the doer, the controller, and then there’s the criticizer. I think that’s a good thing, and I’d like to thank Prabowo for that,” Joko said.

Prabowo said that he will ask his supporters to support Joko’s presidency. Prabowo’s Red-White coalition has the majority of the seats in legislature.

“I ask my party and supporters to support Joko and the government. We will criticize him should there be policies harming the people’s interest.”

He also asked his supporters to reconcile, despite political differences between his supporters and those of Joko’s.

“I will tell my supporters that political competition is a normal thing but in the end, all that we do is to achieve the nation’s prosperity and progress,” Prabowo said. “I hope the supporters don’t see the differences and competition between us as a reason to divide the people. We must stay united as one Indonesia at all times.”

“In this friendly meeting, I congratulate Joko who will be sworn in and inaugurated as the president on Oct. 20,” Prabowo said. “I believe that he is a patriot and deep down we have the same intention to guard Indonesia’s unity and its constitution.”

Regarding Joko’s inauguration on Monday, Prabowo said he would to try his best to attend the ceremony.

“I heard the invitation will come at 3 p.m. today. It’s the norm that if one is invited, he should fulfill it. I have to go abroad tonight or tomorrow morning, but if I’m done by Sunday night, I promise to do my best to attend the ceremony,” he said. “If I can’t make it, Pak Joko already knows the reason.”

Indonesia's losing presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, left, gestures as he

 stands beside Indonesia's President-elect Joko Widodo after a meeting in Jakarta on
Oct. 17, 2014. Prabowo said on Friday his party would support Widodo, but would not

hesitate to criticize any of his policies that they opposed. (Reuters Photo/Beawiharta)

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SBY’s Decade in Power

Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, center, gestures to presidential

 candidates Joko Widodo, left, and Prabowo Subianto, right, prior to a prayer at the

 presidential palace in Jakarta on July 20, 2014. Jakarta governor Joko Widodo is

expected to be declared the winner of Indonesia's disputed presidential election this

 week but his rival, ex-general Prabowo Subianto, is likely to mount a legal challenge

that will prolong the political deadlock. (AFP Photo/Adek Berry)

Jokowi Makes Time’s Front Cover in ‘A New Hope’

Jakarta Globe, Oct 16, 2014

 (Photo courtesy of Time)

Jakarta. Man of the Year?

Not exactly. But President-elect Joko Widodo made Time’s cover in the Oct. 27 issue, which was posted on the magazine’s website on Thursday.

Titled “A New Hope” by journalist Hannah Beech, Time’s coverage highlights the importance of progress in Indonesia’s democratic movement in the world’s fourth most populous nation.

Joko’s inauguration as the nation’s seventh president takes place on Monday, and he succeeds President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, whose second five-year term will end.

All presidents of Indonesia have made the cover of Time.

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