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SBY holds Idul Fitri open house at palace
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono opened his doors to people of various backgrounds at the State Palace to celebrate the first day of Idul Fitri on Monday, which will be the outgoing Presidentâs last open house at the palace
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resident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono opened his doors to people of various backgrounds at the State Palace to celebrate the first day of Idul Fitri on Monday, which will be the outgoing President's last open house at the palace.
Yudhoyono started Idul Fitri celebrations at the palace with his family and presidential staff members at 8:50 a.m., after he and his wife Ani Yudhoyono attended Idul Fitri prayers at the Istiqlal Grand Mosque in Central Jakarta, which is just a few kilometers from the palace.
Dressed in green outfits, the President's youngest son Edhie "Ibas" Baskoro and his wife Aliya Rajasa, performed sungkeman ' kneeling in front of older family members and asking for forgiveness ' before Yudhoyono and Ani.
Yudhoyono's eldest son, Agus Harimurti and his wife, Annisa Pohan, were not present. In late June, the two left Jakarta for the United States, where Agus is attending a one-year course at the US Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
At 10 a.m., the First Family will receive Vice President Boediono and his family, and later Cabinet members, leaders of state institutions, ambassadors and governors from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
After a short break, Yudhoyono and the First Family will receive members of the public at 3:30 p.m.
The Idul Fitri open house at the palace has been an annual tradition during Yudhoyono's presidency. Each guest usually receives a package containing mementos and an undisclosed amount of cash. The Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (FITRA) has criticized the government for the open house, which cost the state Rp 1.5 billion in 2012 and Rp 1.4 billion in 2013.
In 2010, a blind man died in a stampede at the event.
