Residents share stories of securing invitations to Indonesia's 81st Independence Day ceremony
A number of residents have shared their struggles to secure invitations to the 81st Independence Day ceremony at the Presidential Palace, as well as their preparations for the event. Alin, a model from Serang, Banten, said she had set an alarm but overslept, and only managed to get an invitation on the second day after waking up and immediately joining the online queue. She collected her invitation at the Krida Bhakti Building, Ministry of State Secretariat, Jakarta, on Saturday (15/8), and said she had already prepared an outfit for the ceremony, which will be led by President Prabowo Subianto as inspector of ceremony. Alin also expressed a desire to meet President Prabowo in person.
Ilham, an online motorcycle taxi driver from Lampung who lives in Cipondoh, Tangerang, said he tried for the first five days without success. He tried again after hearing about additional quota from the Minister of State Secretary. ‘When there was information from the Minister of State Secretary that there would be additional quota, I stayed up again on Tuesday, the 11th. Finally, thank God, I got one,’ he said. Ilham said he was most looking forward to the aircraft display during the ceremony, noting that watching it live would be a different experience from seeing it on television.
Nurul from Central Jakarta also obtained an invitation after joining the online scramble. She said she wanted to experience the atmosphere when the song ‘Mengheningkan Cipta’ is played during the ceremony. ‘Honestly, I want to hear the song ’Mengheningkan Cipta’ live, it seems like it would give me goosebumps,’ she said.
Aulia, a resident of Bekasi, also got an invitation through the online queue. Unlike some who had to try for several days, Bagas Prasetyo, a private sector employee from Sukabumi, got his invitation on his first attempt. ‘People say I’m lucky, because I only started getting ready five minutes before it opened. I got it straight away. Others refresh many times and don’t get it, but I entered once, filled in my data, everything was sent, and I got it immediately,’ he said. When collecting his invitation at the Krida Bhakti Building, Bagas said the process was quick, despite having heard about long queues.
These stories show that residents’ preparations for the 81st Independence Day ceremony began with the process of obtaining invitations, from joining the online scramble to preparing outfits for the event at the Presidential Palace.