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Anies inaugurates Batak church
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Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan (right) arrives at City Hall by patrol motorbike of the city’s Transportation Agency on Friday morning due to severe traffic jam. (kompas.com/Nursita Sari)
J
akarta Governor Anies Baswedan inaugurated the Filadelfia Batak Protestant Church (HKBP) in Semper, North Jakarta, on Sunday, the first house of worship he inaugurated since assuming office.
Anies arrived at the scene with his wife Ferry Farhati. They were subsequently greeted with tor-tor dance, while members of the congregation welcomed them by shouting “Horas”, a typical greeting of the Batak people, kompas.com reported.
Representatives from the church then presented Anies and his wife with Ulos, a traditional Batak cloth.
“This is the first inauguration I signed,” Anies said in his speech.
Anies went on to praise the church, which was built with the collective money of the church members.
“I would like to convey my appreciation of the teamwork. Such efforts should be upheld,” he said, adding that the good relationship with local residents should be maintained.
Earlier, Anies was embroiled in the controversy of Jakarta Bay reclamation that had pitted him against Maritime Affairs Coordinating Minister Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, who is of Batak descent. Anies insisted to stop the reclamation project after Luhut allowed it to continue.
The newly-inaugurated governor had also been accused of inflaming sectarian division after his remarks on pribumi (indigenous people) on his first speech as governor. (fac/wit)
