Our beloved ibukota of Jakarta turns 489 years old today. But, just like a teenager who’s becoming too old for birthday parties, there will be no massive celebrations like festivals or parades to celebrate Jakarta’s big 4-8-9 this year.
Last year, the provincial government held the popular Jakarnaval festival in Monas to celebrate Jakarta’s birthday. This year, however, Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama decided against holding any celebrations as he’d rather the city focus on more important things.
“I think what’s important are the substantial matters. There’s no need for festivals. The substance is we could break ground on the LRT, introduce app systems, those are the important things [for Jakarta],” Ahok said, as quoted by Okezone yesterday.
“Celebrations are important, but when we have limited funding which do we prioritize? Would you rather travel abroad or buy a house if you don’t own one?”
In lieu of a festival on Jakarnaval’s scale, the provincial government is instead holding low-key events today like the launching of a new Vehicle Registration Document Center at City Hall as well as an iftar dinner, among others.
But if you really want to celebrate Jakarta’s 489th b-day, there’s still a place to do it. Even though it’s not held specifically to celebrate the capital’s anniversary, Jakartans can enjoy the festival atmosphere of the annual Jakarta Fair at JIExpo Kemayoran, which is going on until July 17.
