Vibrant Eid Celebrations, from Aceh to the Palace and Inmates
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The celebration of Eid al-Fitr 1447 Hijriah on Saturday (21/3) was marked by various activities in several regions, starting from President Prabowo Subianto performing Eid prayers with flood survivor residents in Aceh, hosting a griya gathering at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, granting remission to inmates, to Indonesian citizens (WNI) performing Eid prayers abroad.
President Prabowo Subianto performed Eid al-Fitr prayers with residents at the Darussalam Mosque in Aceh Tamiang Regency, before handing over aid packages of basic necessities to flood-affected residents.
After the prayers, the President greeted the community and symbolically handed over aid to representatives of the residents. The President also inspected temporary housing (huntara) built for flood survivor residents around the mosque.
During the visit, the President was accompanied by Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian, Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, Minister of Public Works Dody Hanggodo, Minister of Defence Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sudaryono, and TNI Chief General Agus Subianto.
Meanwhile in Jakarta, thousands of residents attended the griya gathering held at the Presidential Palace as part of the Eid al-Fitr halal bihalal.
The President opened access for around 4,000 to 5,000 residents to participate in the event. On that occasion, the President also distributed Eid parcels to several residents.
From the corrections sector, the Directorate General of Corrections of the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections (Imipas) granted Special Eid al-Fitr Remission to 155,908 inmates across Indonesia.
Director General of Corrections Mashudi said the remission was given to inmates who had met administrative and substantive requirements and demonstrated good behaviour during their rehabilitation period.
Of that number, 154,785 were prisoners and 1,123 were juvenile inmates. As many as 153,642 prisoners received a reduction in their sentence, while another 1,143 were directly released after receiving remission.
Mashudi also stated that the policy could potentially save the state budget for inmate meals by around Rp109.2 billion.
The event was also filled with community gatherings and fundraising for disaster victims in Aceh, totalling around Rp30.9 million.
In addition to China, the Indonesian diaspora in Norway also performed Eid prayers and halal bihalal facilitated by the Indonesian Embassy in Oslo in collaboration with local Muslim organisations.
The event was attended by around 300 participants and included friendly interactions as well as the serving of traditional Eid foods. Similar events were also held by Indonesians in various other countries such as Thailand, Norway, Saudi Arabia, and others.
The Eid al-Fitr celebrations became part of efforts to strengthen community ties among Indonesians both at home and abroad.