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Singapore president once backpacked in Yogyakarta, says royal

Re-sharing Halimah’s story, GKR Mangkubumi said that Singapore’s first female president went on a budget trip to Yogyakarta, just like any backpacker. 

News Desk (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Thu, February 6, 2020

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Singapore president once backpacked in Yogyakarta, says royal President of Singapore Halimah Yacob (third right) and husband Mohammed Abdullah Alhabshee (third left) enjoy a dance performance with Yogyakarta Sultan Hamengkubuwono X (right) at the Yogyakarta Palace on Wednesday. (Antara/Andreas Fitri Atmoko)

A Yogyakarta princess has revealed that the President of Singapore Halimah Yacob enjoyed backpacking in Yogyakarta some time ago.

Yogyakarta sultanate crown princess Gusti Kanjeng Ratu (GKR) Mangkubumi said that Halimah shared with the royal that she felt nostalgic when she visited the Yogyakarta Palace on Wednesday. The crown princess greeted the president on the said visit.

“She said four years ago she went to Yogyakarta as a tourist,” the crown princess said on Wednesday as quoted by tempo.co

Re-sharing Halimah’s story, GKR Mangkubumi said that Singapore’s first female president went on a budget trip to Yogyakarta, just like any backpacker. Halimah ordered her own tickets, visited the palace, and enjoyed a dance performance at Sri Manganti Hall in the palace, added the royal. 

Culture is one of Halimah’s biggest interests, hence the Yogyakarta trip, GKR Mangkubumi said.

Wednesday’s visit was Halimah’s first visit to Yogyakarta as Singapore president.

Yogyakarta Sultan Hamengkubuwono X and his wife, GKR Hemas, along with princesses GKR Mangkubumi, GKR Candrakirana, GKR Hayu and GKR Bendara welcomed Halimah, who was accompanied by husband Mohammed Abdullah Alhabshee, to the palace.

The visit lasted in two hours, from around 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Halimah was greeted by the Beksan Lawung Jajar sacred welcome dance, which was created by Sultan Hamengkubuwono I in 1755.

During the official visit, the royals gave a tour of the palace by showing Halimah its historical objects, including a 19th century manuscript collection, leather puppets, a tea set from Sultan Hamengkubuwono VII as well as ancient kris daggers.

The youngest princess, GKR Bendara, said Halimah seemed excited during the tour, especially with regard to historical objects linked to Sir Stamford Raffles, the founding father of modern Singapore.

GKR Bendara said in the past Yogyakarta had around 300 ancient manuscripts, but during the rule of Sultan Hamengkubuwono III – from 1810 to 1811 and 1812 to 1814, Raffles took many manuscripts out of Yogyakarta that now are scattered around the world.

GKR Bendara said Yogyakarta and Singapore had the potential to work together on exhibitions to commemorate Raffles in the future. (gis)

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