April 1, 2025
JAKARTA – President Prabowo Subianto held his first-ever Idul Fitri gathering at the Merdeka Palace on Monday, during which he welcomed officials and the general public who began thronging the palace complex earlier in the morning.
The Idul Fitri gathering, usually referred to as an “open house”, began at 9 a.m. and was held after the President’s Idul Fitri prayers at the Istiqlal Mosque, which he attended with his only son Didit Hediprasetyo, Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka and former vice president Jusuf Kalla.
Several cabinet members and a number of foreign ambassadors also accompanied the President’s prayers, according to a statement by the State Secretariat.
Prabowo, who set the public attendee quota at 1,000 people for his first open house, began greeting the enthused mass shortly after 12 p.m.
Kompas.com reported that the mass had been waiting in line for hours, and were mostly excited to see the President in the flesh for the first time after his inauguration in October last year.
“I’ve been standing in line since 7:30 a.m. to have breakfast with Pak Prabowo,” one of the attendants, Santi, told the daily.
“I also really want to see what the inside of the Palace looks like, but most of all I’d just like to shake the President’s hand and receive my holiday bonus,” she continued.
A slew of online ride-hailing drivers was also conspicuously present during the celebrations, dressed in their full attire. According to various reports, the drivers had been invited and were planning to express their aspirations for improved labor rights to the President.
That includes conveying their disappointment over the first ever holiday bonus from ride-hailing platforms, following the government’s request to tech firms in mid-March this year.
Joined by his son Didit, Prabowo also welcomed National Economic Council chairman Luhut Pandjaitan, former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and former commander of the armed forces Wiranto to the stately banquet.
Former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo was invited for the open house, but he chose to stay in his residence in Surakarta, Central Java.
Hundreds more public figures were also reported to have attended the open house at the State Palace, including cabinet officials, foreign representatives, businessmen and media leaders.
Former president and Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri was also reportedly invited to the open house, but did not attend the celebration.
Several politicians visited Megawati’s house on Monday to celebrate Idul Fitri, including Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung and his deputy Rano Karno, Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar and Nusantara Capital City (IKN) Authority chairman Basuki Hadimuljono.