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Netizens call Jokowi by birth name Mulyono as form of protest
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President Joko “Jokowi“ Widodo, wearing traditional Betawi attire, prays on Aug. 16, 2024, after delivering his State of the Nation Address during the annual People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) plenary session at the Senayan legislative complex in Jakarta. (AFP/Bagus Indahono/Pool)
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cores of social media users have started referring to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo by his birth name Mulyono, amid growing opposition to the outgoing leader, who is believed to be behind the country’s backsliding democracy.
Mulyono, which means “noble”, is quite a popular name among Javanese people, but the name did not seem to bring good luck to Jokowi. Because little Mulyono fell sick quite frequently, his parents decided to change his name to Joko Widodo, with Joko meaning “young man” and Widodo “prosperous”.
There is a common belief among Javanese people that names determine someone’s fortunes and misfortunes.
Recently, netizens have referred to Jokowi by his birth name to express their anger with the President, who has been widely accused of abusing his power to solidify his political dynasty.
Some have called for the use Jokowi’s birth name instead, believing that this might “speed up his downfall”.
Protests have been popping up in major cities across the country over the past week following the House of Representatives’ controversial plan to amend the prevailing Regional Elections Law and change the age limit for aspiring candidates.
The protests were accompanied by fury on social media directed at Jokowi, who stood to gain from proposed changes that would allow his youngest son Kaesang Pangarep to participate in Central Java’s regional head elections, among other things.
