President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo appears to be shying away from the public amid the recent turmoil engulfing the country, requesting that his presidential inauguration on Sunday be carried out in a simple ceremony — unlike the festive celebration observed five years ago that saw hundreds of thousands take to the streets to parade for him.

Jokowi informed reporters of his request at the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Wednesday after meeting with People’s Consultative Assembly leaders to talk about his oath of office ceremony alongside Vice President Ma’ruf Amin on Sunday afternoon.

Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko also asked for Jokowi’s campaign volunteers, who were reportedly planning to hold a cultural carnival that was expected to attract a large crowd, to accept the President’s request for a smaller celebration.

“The President does not want the event [requested by volunteers] to be excessive. Therefore, there’s no need for [the carnival],” he said. "The President wants to work soon. [With] all the challenges he’s facing, he wants to get to work right away, like the people expect him to."

Budi Arie Setiadi, the chairman of Projo, a volunteer group supporting Jokowi, said the group would cancel its planned Way Kambas elephant parade with a heavy heart, knowing that Jokowi would have to get back to work as “there are many problems in the country needing to be solved quickly and correctly”.

Jokowi, the politician who popularized blusukan (impromptu visits) to meet the people and listen to their concerns, has been at the receiving end of harsh criticism since he allowed the House of Representatives to revise the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Law. Only a few days before his inauguration, thousands still rallied across the country in protest of his recent decisions.

In addition, the security protocol for high-ranking officials came under scrutiny after Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Minister Wiranto was stabbed in Pandeglang, Banten, earlier this month, leading to a roundup of suspected terrorists in several regions.

As a result, the Jakarta administration announced that it would cancel Car Free Day on Sunday for security reasons, even though the inauguration ceremony had been moved from the morning to the afternoon to accommodate churchgoers.

A group of 35,000 volunteers from 458 community organizations instead provided 160 fried rice carts in the National Monument (Monas) complex in Central Jakarta, serving free food to visitors.

Across the street at the Arjuna Wiwaha statue, a large stage was built to showcase performances, while dozens of people gathered, wearing white shirts with logos reading “Gratitude Celebration for the Inauguration of the 2019-2024 President and Vice President”.

A Music for the Republic concert, held to unite the local community, was held in Bumi Perkemahan Cibubur, East Jakarta, from Friday to Sunday with 78 musicians performing.

Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) researcher Arya Fernandes pointed out that the recent wave of protests, a festive celebration would only fuel the criticism surrounding the President.

He added that the simpler inauguration ceremony could be reflective of the fact that the country’s political parties were not as divided as they were in 2014 — when Jokowi, as a new name in politics, faced and won a hard-fought battle — as speculations were rife that some of his former adversaries could join his coalition.

Firman Noor, head of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Political Research Center, said Jokowi had no other choice but to simplify his inauguration to mend the rift between him and the people.

“It was different in 2014 when everyone thought that he was just like us and they expected him to issue pro-people policies, not the paranoid and excessive ones we’ve been seeing recently. I think the situation is different now because he’s no longer a mythical figure, but he’s a real [person] with real policies that can be seen,” he said.

The gap between Jokowi and the people was further highlighted by the extensive security measures implemented for his inauguration, with the closure of roads and several trains and MRT stations leaving commuters stranded and forcing motorists to drive around in circles looking for a way to reach their destination.

State-owned railway operator PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia (KCI) decided to halt Commuter Line services at Palmerah Station and Tanah Abang Station, both in Central Jakarta, because traffic on nearby roads was being diverted, KCI spokesperson Anne Purba said in a statement.

Meanwhile, dozens of commuters thronged around the entrance gates and stairs of Kebayoran Station in South Jakarta as the Rangkasbitung-Maja-Parungpanjang-Serpong line bound for the Tanah Abang transit station was instead terminated at Kebayoran.

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