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View all search resultsAnalysis: The ominous ‘Mr. J’: Jokowi's new political home
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Jakarta motorists drive on Jan. 18, 2024, past a campaign banner for legislative candidate Grace Natalie Louisa from the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) that also features party chair Kaesang Pangarep (right, top) and his father, then-president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. (AFP/Adek Berry) (AFP/Adek Berry)
W
hen the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) chairman, Kaesang Pangarep, announced the party's new leadership lineup for the 2025-2030 period, a mysterious figure designated only as "Mr. J" was listed as the chief patron, with the full name to be revealed soon. PSI secretary general and Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni explained that the name was being kept secret under Kaesang's instruction.
This "Mr. J", while discreet, has been widely decoded. Initial speculation attributed the "J" to PSI cofounder and benefactor, Jeffrie Geovanie. However, this was proven incorrect when Jeffrie was announced instead as head of the party’s founding board. This leaves the more prominent figure: former president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, Kaesang’s father.
Even before this trivial puzzle was introduced, Jokowi had openly begun to align himself with the elephant-symbolized party during this period of party restructuring.
The "Mr. J" gimmick appears to come straight from the Jokowi handbook of political communication strategies. By anonymizing the name and leaving interpretations open, PSI and Jokowi can gauge the initial reaction from the public and netizens. If the response shows overwhelming support, they will likely move forward with the official announcement of Jokowi as the party's figurehead.
Jokowi, who was dismissed from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) by its chairwoman, Megawati Soekarnoputri, for defying party lines during the 2024 elections, has recently been seen hosting several PSI lawmakers at his residence in Surakarta, Central Java. He has also openly campaigned for the party as it seeks to secure its first parliamentary seats in the 2029 legislative elections.
PSI has yet to win a single seat in the House of Representatives since its inception in 2014 as a youth-based, reform-minded party. A decade later, the party's recent congress last July saw a notable shift away from its strong reformist stance toward a more pragmatic, power-seeking one.
The relationship between Jokowi and the young party is mutually beneficial. Jokowi needs an official political platform to champion his interests and wield his political strength, while PSI gains a massive publicity boost from associating with a former president who holds the highest approval rating in the country's history.
