Ojek drivers and firefighters invited to the Palace
A motorcycle taxi driver, a coffee shop attendant, and firefighters received invitations to attend the 81st Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia ceremony at the Presidential Palace.
“I am very grateful to receive an invitation to attend the 81st Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia at the Palace. Thank you to the President,” said Zulkifli, a motorcycle taxi driver, as quoted from a broadcast by the Presidential Secretariat Press Bureau in Jakarta on Sunday.
Zulkifli has been a motorcycle taxi driver for 25 years in the Juanda Station area of Central Jakarta. On a daily basis, he takes passengers to various destinations around Jakarta and is accustomed to observing activity in the Palace area from his place of work.
The invitation gave Zulkifli the opportunity to enter the Palace grounds as a guest for the 81st Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia.
He expressed his gratitude to President Prabowo Subianto for inviting motorcycle taxi drivers to take part in the independence celebrations.
“I am very grateful to receive an invitation from President Prabowo Subianto. Many thanks for the invitation. Hopefully for Indonesia itself, on its 81st birthday, hopefully it will be more advanced and more developed,” said Mulyadi.
Meanwhile, Wasuri, who has worked for about three years as an attendant at Kedai Kopi Oke, also received an invitation to attend the ceremony at the Palace.
The coffee shop where Wasuri works operates 24 hours a day with a rotation system of three people across several shifts.
“I am happy, because this is the first time, the first time. I really want to enter the palace, to see what it is like inside the palace. I am afraid I will not be able to sleep, because I want it so much,” said Wasuri.
Gatot has served in the operations division for about 15 years, while Ruly has served in the rescue operations division for about 20 years.
“My personal feeling is truly extraordinary. It is an honour to be invited to such a magnificent Palace, and hopefully more of our colleagues will also be invited to the Palace in the future,” said Ruly.
Gatot said the invitation was an honour for the extended family of the DKI Jakarta Fire and Rescue Service to attend the independence ceremony at the Palace.
“It is an honour and a source of pride for us, especially the Fire and Rescue Service, as we have certainly been trusted and greatly honoured to be able to take part in the Independence Ceremony of the Republic of Indonesia,” said Gatot.