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Prabowo’s visit to Cilincing surprises residents
The Cilincing visit triggered various comments on social media, with some criticizing Prabowo about his incapability of doing blusukan and his health.
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Supporters wave and take photos of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto on Dec. 17, 2023, as he stands from an open sunroof of a car while en route to the grave of first president Sukarno in Blitar, East Java, a key battleground province in the Indonesian elections. (Antara//Irfan Anshori)
Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto’s recent visit to Cilincing, North Jakarta, surprised residents and caused a frenzy on social media.
The visit, which had been planned as a lowkey event without a major announcement, caught the residents off guard when they saw Prabowo that day, whose team had planned several activities, including cooking with residents.
One of the residents, Juli Handayani, said she was surprised and moved by the sudden visit. Juli said she was initially concerned because she thought Prabowo’s envoy was a security officer.
"Unbelievable, really. It's like a dream to be visited by a presidential candidate," said Juli when asked by the reporters on Tuesday, as quoted by Antara.
The Cilincing visit triggered various comments on social media, with some criticizing Prabowo about his incapability to do blusukan (impromptu visits), as President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is famed for. Others were concerned about his health since the 72-year-old needed help to walk the narrow and steep alleyways in the area.
At that time, Prabowo said he wanted to hear complaints directly from the residents of Kampung Sawah, who reside in uninhabitable areas along the riverbank.
Prabowo appeared with a smile, making an effort to shake hands with residents who eagerly reached out for his hand. He also greeted those who were farther away from where he stood.
After hearing the aspirations of Kampung Sawah residents, Prabowo went to nearby Kampung Rawa Malang where he participated in a cooking event with YouTube persona Bobon Santoso. Hundreds of residents came to watch the cooking spectacle.
Prabowo helped cook a teriyaki beef dish that later was shared with the residents.
