SBY book gifts in spirit of Independence Day celebration: Presidential spokesman

Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha said the books, most of which could be related to the first family, given out as gifts during the celebration of the 65th Independence Day at the State Palace were nothing more than that.

“The gifts were to enliven [the event]. There shouldn't be excessive controversy over the gifts,” Julian told tempointeraktif.com Wednesday.

Critics denounced the first family’s celebration of Independence Day as another example of Yudhoyono’s image-building, especially as all the books promoted the President’s family in some way.

Guests of the event at the State Palace received several books as souvenirs, like Sekarang Kita Makin Percaya Diri (We Are Increasingly Self-Confident), which is based on an interview with Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, the President’s eldest son and Batikku, Pengabdian Cinta Tak Berkata (My Batik, A Silent Devotion of Love) featuring first lady Ani Yudhoyono.

Guests also received books titled Words That Shook The World written by Richard Greene. The book consists of speeches made by world leaders and has a picture of Yudhoyono and US President Barack Obama on the cover.

“As long as [the gifts] don’t cause any negative feelings regarding the Independence Day celebration, I don't think there's anything wrong with it,” Julian added.