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Cilacap residents give Jokowi ‘magic’ bamboo stick
The bamboo stick is believed to be able to fend off bad influences.
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President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. (tribunnews.com/-)
W
hile President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo was visiting Cilacap, Central Java, earlier this week to inaugurate a coal-fired power plant and distribute assistance to poor residents, local residents gave a “magic” bamboo stick called a Pring Pethuk.
The unidentified resident presented the bamboo stick to the President, who later took it to the stage and shared the story with the audience.
Javanese myth enthusiasts may recognize the Pring Pethuk as a piece of bamboo that has twin stems and is believed to have the power to fend off slander and other forms of bad influence.
“I was stopped midway by a resident and then was given this. [He] says it’s called pethuk and the owner will possess a magic power,” he said.
The President later placed the yellow bamboo stick on the podium.
During the visit, the President distributed aid under the Family Hope (PKH) and non-cash food assistance (BPNT) programs to more than 1,200 underprivileged families, as well as thousands of land certificates to residents. (swd)
