TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
'Lamun sira sekti, aja mateni': Jokowi infuses Javanese philosophy into politics
It is not the first time that Jokowi has espoused Javanese philosophical concepts during his presidency.
Change Size
Wayang kulit shadow puppets tell a story, usually taken from the Mahabharata or Ramayana. JP/Tyler Blodgett (JP/Tyler Blodgett)
A
mid the increasingly intense jockeying and lobbying among political parties following the general election, a cryptic post on President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's social media accounts has given rise to speculation as to the possible meanings behind it.
In the short video, which was posted on the President's official Twitter and Instagram accounts on Saturday, the wayang character Gatotkaca appears to be offering help to a peasant. Above him, in Javanese, is the phrase "lamun sira sekti, aja mateni." Below, the rough translation in Indonesian: "even though you are powerful, do not knock down others."
The Javanese saying and its translation is read out by Jokowi himself in a voiceover. The caption on the post reads: "Times have progressed, but we still remember the wise and great messages of our ancestors."
Zaman sudah semakin maju, tapi kita tetap mengingat pesan-pesan bijak dan agung para leluhur.
Selamat pagi. Selamat berakhir pekan. pic.twitter.com/0Yw5sPX5e5
— Joko Widodo (@jokowi) July 20, 2019
