From breaking into dance during a political party gathering to posting humorous social media content, the three candidate pairs for next year's presidential election have been promoting “politik gembira” (happy politics) ahead of the campaign season in an attempt to encourage a peaceful contest and make connections with young voters.

While acknowledging that such an approach could help reduce tensions and divisions, analysts expressed concern that the election could become a series of “theatrical gimmicks” rather than a battle of ideas.

With pollsters predicting a tight contest between the three candidate pairs – Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD, Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka and Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar – the contestants have been attempting to use more entertaining approaches as they appeal for a less divisive election than in previous years.

The last two presidential elections were plagued by sectarian politics that left the nation more divided it had been in decades.

Read also: Presidential hopefuls offer populist promises

The shift toward the performance of political happiness was apparent in a 1 minute, 26 second video posted on Anies’ TikTok account. The clip featured both Anies and Muhaimin dressed in white shirts, black peci (caps) and sarongs having a cheeky conversation about the sarong’s functions.

Muhaimin humorously demonstrated his take on the garment’s function, saying the fabric was often used by santri (Islamic boarding school students) as a blanket or a cover to protect themselves from mosquitos. As he was explaining the latter function of the traditional fabric, Muhaimin suddenly whacked Anies with the sarong he was holding, surprising the latter. The two then burst into laughter.

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