Wife of East Kalimantan Governor's Outfit Criticised Amidst Rp8.5 Billion Official Car Controversy, Netizens: 'Thought She Was a Dutch Lady'

The attire of the wife of the Governor of East Kalimantan, Rudy Mas’ud, Sarifah Suraidah, has become a topic of discussion after a video of her meeting an elderly vegetable vendor went viral on social media.

Sarifah Suraidah’s fashion style has come under scrutiny amidst the controversy surrounding the planned procurement of an Rp8.5 billion official car for her husband.

In the video uploaded to the Instagram account @peopletoday.id, Sarifah is seen talking to the elderly vegetable vendor on the side of the road and giving her some money.

She is wearing a white floral dress paired with a pearl necklace, earrings, a large ring, and a wide-brimmed hat that matches her outfit.

This appearance has become the subject of comments from netizens. Some have commented that her style of dress is similar to that of a ‘Dutch lady’, a term referring to young Dutch women during the colonial era.

Some comments also refer to the controversy surrounding the procurement of Rudy Mas’ud’s official car.

‘I thought she was a Dutch lady,’ commented one netizen.

‘Husband and wife are quite similar, aren’t they? No wonder they are asking for 8.5 billion for an official car,’ said another netizen.

Previously, the Governor of East Kalimantan, Rudy Mas’ud, had provided an explanation regarding the Rp8.5 billion budget controversy for his official car.

He stated that he has not yet received the official car from the East Kalimantan Provincial Government and is still using his private vehicle for daily activities.

Rudy emphasised that the procurement of the official vehicle is carried out in accordance with applicable regulations. He also mentioned that East Kalimantan is the location of the National Capital (IKN), so it is necessary to maintain the dignity of the region in receiving guests, both from within and outside the country.

‘East Kalimantan is the national capital, East Kalimantan is a miniature of Indonesia. Guests from East Kalimantan are not only regional heads from all over Indonesia but also from around the world. How can the regional head use a mediocre car? Let’s maintain the dignity of East Kalimantan, this is the dignity of East Kalimantan, the dignity of the people of East Kalimantan,’ said Rudy.