Prabowo Welcomes SBY and Family During Halalbihalal at the Palace
Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto directly welcomed the arrival of Indonesia’s 6th President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), who visited Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Saturday afternoon for halalbihalal to mark Eid al-Fitr on 1 Syawal 1447 Hijriah.
SBY was accompanied by his eldest son, Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY), his youngest son, Deputy Chairman of the MPR RI Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono (Ibas), and other family members.
President Prabowo then shook hands with SBY. The President also shook hands with AHY, followed by AHY’s wife and child, and then with Ibas and his family.
President Prabowo then walked side by side with SBY while having a brief conversation. At the palace entrance, Prabowo’s only son, Didit Hediprasetyo, immediately shook hands with SBY, AHY, and other family members.
Inside Merdeka Palace, the SBY family entourage met with Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka and his wife, Selvi Ananda, and the two families exchanged handshakes.
Afterwards, President Prabowo, SBY and his family, and Vice President Gibran entered the room.
The halalbihalal between Prabowo and SBY was held privately.
In the same series of events, President Prabowo also held halalbihalal with Indonesia’s 7th President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and his family at Merdeka Palace. That meeting was also held privately.
President Prabowo opened the doors of the Palace in Jakarta on Saturday from noon until evening for an open house and halalbihalal with the public and several state officials.
Before meeting the officials and former presidents, President Prabowo first met with the public and interacted with residents who had crowded the palace grounds since Saturday morning. At least 4,000-5,000 people from the general public participated in the open house event at Merdeka Palace today.
The open house at the Presidential Palace of the Republic of Indonesia during Eid al-Fitr is a routine annual agenda during President Prabowo’s administration. During the Eid al-Fitr celebration, the Presidential Palace is open to the general public.
Visitors attending halalbihalal with the President entered through the back gate of the State Palace, then walked to the central courtyard area of the Presidential Palace.
Various typical Lebaran foods, such as ketupat and opor, followed by empal gentong and bakso, were served to the public attending the open house event at the Palace.
The halalbihalal and open house event at the Palace concluded on Saturday evening around 6:00 PM WIB.