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Owners say sorry after Jakarta lavish dog 'wedding' backlash
Two Alaskan Malamutes were wedded Friday at a mall in Jakarta, donning traditional Javanese costumes alongside their owners and relatives at a fake ceremony that reportedly cost 200 million rupiah ($13,350).
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Two Alaskan Malamutes were wedded on July 14, 2023 at a mall in Jakarta, causing a stir on social media. (The Jakarta Post/CNN Indonesia)
T
wo women have apologised after a lavish "wedding" for their dogs sparked a backlash, where wealth distribution is one of the most unequal in the world.
Two Alaskan Malamutes were wedded Friday at a mall in Jakarta, donning traditional Javanese costumes alongside their owners and relatives at a fake ceremony that reportedly cost 200 million rupiah ($13,350).
A social media uproar followed after images emerged of the wolf-like dogs taking each other's paws in marriage at the extravagant ceremony, forcing the owners into a contrite news conference.
"We regret it very much and we would like to apologise for the Javanese culture enthusiasts and all Indonesians who were uncomfortable and hurt by the event," Indira Ratnasari, owner of female dog Luna, said Wednesday.
"We had no intention to insult the Indonesian and the Javanese culture," she said, according to footage posted on her makeup artist's Instagram account.
Ostentatious displays of wealth in the world's fourth-most populous country are frowned upon and often criticised because of its widening income gap.
The minimum monthly wage in Jakarta is Rp 4.9 million ($327) and the World Bank last year said nearly a tenth of Indonesia's 270 million people still live below the poverty line.
