Since early in his political career, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has painted himself as a down-to-earth leader with a hands-on style of governance, a combination which has earned him high electability among the public.

On Tuesday, in what analysts have described as yet another attempt by Jokowi to boost his popularity ahead of his reelection bid next year, the President reinforced his image as a “man of the people” by engaging with groups of wong cilik, or ordinary people, at the State Palace.

Jokowi invited truck drivers and fishermen from across the country in two separate gatherings, during which he listened to their concerns and complaints regarding the problems they face in their daily work.

The President said he was surprised to learn that truck drivers across the country often faced serious problems with illegal levies, extortion and intimidation.

Dozens of truck drivers told Jokowi they had to pay illegal fees demanded by thugs along the roads or by officials who abused their authority at weighbridges. If they refused, they said they were intimidated and even physically threatened.

The extortion often occurred on the trans-Sumatra road, which connects provinces in Sumatra from north to south, as well as in Kalimantan and even in the Greater Jakarta area, they said.

On the trans-Sumatra road, a truck driver, for example, could be forced to pay up to Rp 3 million (US$213) in illegal fees.

“I have ordered the National Police chief to address the issue,” Jokowi said. “This has caused a disturbance to security and unnecessarily increases the costs of transportation.”

Truck driver Agus Yuda, 30 walked for 26 days from Mojokerto in East Java to Jakarta just to meet the President and vent his frustration.

“We want the government to ensure our security and safety, because [truck] drivers are the backbone of the government; without us, they cannot distribute items to the people,” Agus said.

Later that day, Jokowi proceeded with a second meeting with dozens of fishermen from Lampung, South Sumatra; Indramayu and Cirebon, West Java, and Kalimantan, who asked Jokowi about the use of cantrang (seine nets), which have previously been a cause of controversy.

A total ban on cantrang, which are considered environmentally destructive, was initially enforced on Jan. 1. However, thousands of fishermen from the Muslim-majority northern coast of Java staged protests later in January claiming the ban would reduce their income.

A compromise was later reached with the government deciding to allow the fishermen to continue using cantrang without a time restriction until a more environmentally friendly replacement was ready.

During the Tuesday meeting, a fisherman named Joni from Indramayu, West Java, asked Jokowi to address the use of cantrang by large-scale fishermen, which he claimed had reduced the catches of local fishermen.

Jokowi told the fishermen they needed to gradually switch to using other environmentally friendly equipment to promote sustainable fishing.

“Don’t think only about your short-term goals, we still have children and grandchildren [to feed],” he said.

Political observer Arya Fernandes of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said that Jokowi’s meeting with the groups, particularly with the fishermen, was important to his reelection bid next year, as the President would need to reach out to more segments of society.

“[The meetings] also show Jokowi’s intention to show off his image as a populist leader,” Arya said.

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