One of the reasons that President Joko Widodo won the country’s top office is that he has sold himself as a true man of the people. a real regular ol’ Indonesian. As the mayor of Solo and later the governor of Jakarta, he was famous for his impromptu “blusukan” trips to talk with people on the streets, which is obviously not something he has been able to keep up as president of the country. But he still likes to use his social media accounts to document how real he is still keeping things.
Thus this post on Facebook from yesterday:
Weekend in Solo, after a visit to Yogyakarta and Magelang. Before watching a movie at Cinema 21 Solo Square on Saturday, I stopped at a store to buy a shirt.
Apparently, there is no rebate on the Lunar New Year. “Can I get a discount?” I asked the store cashier. “Can not, sir,” he replied.
No worries. The Rp 100,000 shirt is nevertheless comfortable to wear. At least I now have a replacement for my long-sleeved batik.
Happy Sunday.
Is there seriously a cashier in Indonesia that would deny the president a discount? And did Jokowi seriously ask for a discount on a Rp 100,000 shirt?
We’re just kidding, of course. We would never question the veracity of the president’s account, PR-friendly though it may be. After all, he has proven his common man credentials over and over again, like that time he flew economy to Singapore. Or the time he went looking for bargain electronics in Mangga Dua. Or that time he ordered kaki lima food for a cabinet meeting.
The real question is, will Jokowi’s new shirt cause another fashion trend like with his famous bomber jacket? Er… maybe not.
