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New Golkar leader Bahlil warns not to mess with ‘Javanese king’
“I’m telling you, don’t try to play around with this thing. It’s terrifying,” Bahlil said.
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Golkar Party chairman Bahlil Lahadalia (left) waves the party’s flag after his inauguration as party chairman at Golkar’s national congress in Jakarta on Aug. 21, 2024. (Antara/Akbar Nugroho Gumay)
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ewly elected Golkar Party chairman Bahlil Lahadalia has warned party executives to stay the course in supporting the government or face the wrath of a “Javanese king”, an apparent reference to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
On Wednesday, the party elected Bahlil, a close aide to Jokowi, as its new chairman by acclamation on the second day of its national congress. Bahlil, the sole candidate running for Golkar’s top post, secured the majority of support of the party’s regional chapters.
In a speech delivered before his inauguration as party chair, Bahlil said his leadership would ensure Golkar’s commitment to the incoming administration of president-elect Prabowo Subianto and vice president-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Jokowi’s eldest son.
Calling on party members to remain united moving forward, the current energy and mineral resources minister said he would put Golkar on the front line to ensure the success of the Prabowo administration’s programs, which he described as the continuation of Jokowi’s legacy.
“We have to do better, because we’ll be doomed by this Javanese king if we play around,” Bahlil said.
“I’m telling you, don’t try to play around with this thing. It’s terrifying,” he continued, without identifying who he meant by “Javanese king” or clarifying the context of his statement.
Read also: Golkar party picks Jokowi's top loyalist as leader
