Why Islamists, anti-Chinese sentiments don’t worry Joko Widodo
The Christian, ethnic Chinese Jakarta governor has fallen after a campaign by religious hardliners, but Indonesian President Widodo is standing firm. ‘What’s there to worry about,’ he says
Oblivious to the oppressive heat and the smoky emissions from the stalled traffic, a middle-aged Indonesian couple ambles up and down the pavement outside the office of the governor of Jakarta.
Garment merchant Pak Eeng and his wife Ade are out-of-towners from the neighbouring island of Sumatra. They had taken a boat and a bus, travelling overnight and through the day to the capital city, partly to meet with suppliers but also to pay their respects to a defeated politician.
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Since the gubernatorial election last week, row upon row of floral tributes to the incumbent has sprouted in front of the governor’s office. Ade, 55, stops for a picture. Her 58-year-old husband nods in approval and taps his camera phone. Her red-and-white headscarf picks up the red carpet of roses on a banner reading: “One defeat, one thousand flowers will bloom. Thank you Ahok!”
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