Welcoming 2019

Fri, January 4, 2019 / 07:12 pm

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Full of cheer: Jakartans celebrate New Year’s Eve with fireworks at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle on Monday. Rain that had been pouring since the afternoon did not stop revelers from welcoming 2019 with joy.
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New Year nuptials: A newlywed couple beams with happiness after a mass wedding ceremony held and organized by the city administration on Jl Thamrin in Central Jakarta on Monday. The joyous event saw 221 couples tie the knot. JP/Dhoni Setiawan
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Party on: Fireworks light up the Jakarta sky as revelers celebrate New Years's Eve at the Hotel Indonesia circle on Monday. JP/Wendra Ajistyatama
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On guard: Police personnel are stationed at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle to secure the New Year's festivities on Monday. JP/Wendra Ajistyatama
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New dawn: Tourists watch the sunrise at Sanur Beach in Bali on Tuesday. JP/Zul Trio Anggono
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Wave riders: Visitors enjoy a wave pool at a water park in Malang, East Java, on Tuesday. JP/Nedi Putra AW

New Year’s Eve celebrations across Jakarta were wet due to pouring rain, but the festivities were cheerful nevertheless.

The smiles of a newlywed couple posing for a portrait after taking part in a mass wedding ceremony held by the Jakarta administration on Jl. MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta, symbolized a new hope in welcoming 2019.

Last year was difficult, with natural disasters hitting several provinces. Earthquakes hit Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, liquefaction and a tsunami hit Palu, Central Sulawesi, and, most recently, a tsunami struck several coastal regions following an eruption from Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait.

The year ahead will be a tough one. Indonesia is facing a political year with the presidential and legislative elections on April 17. Amid concerns over disintegration, Indonesia must return to its national philosophy of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) and should not be a disunited country.

The nation faces more challenges ahead and, hopefully, the people will overcome them for a better future.

Happy New Year!