By: Budi Rahmanto
Communities in Indonesia were alarmed by the circulation of news regarding President Joko Widodo who was riding the Electric Rail train during rush hour. The action then went viral and made the KRL passengers in Bogor feel excited.
Although there is an assumption that this is an image, especially before the 2019 presidential election, Jokowi finally explains the reason why he is riding a KRL. Leisurely the former mayor explained that he had got a proposal to try to ride the KRL during rush hour.
“So I did not ride the KRL once or twice, only I would ride it at noon or at 10:00 or 14.00, so in a position that is not much, the ride is rather crowded but quiet, still able to sit,” Jokowi said. Therefore, he spontaneously took the KRL during rush hour.
Jokowi also added that he was on an impromptu KRL from the Western Cape. “Someone told me,” Sir, if you want to try the KRL, it will go up at 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. and if it is 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., “That is impromptu, and immediately entered the KRL in the Western Cape. Near Lenteng Agung.
Not for imaging, especially the campaign, this former Governor of DKI Jakarta stressed that if the purpose of aboard the KRL suddenly was to check the condition of the transportation during rush hour. “Yes, the goal is to see the actual conditions, and we really feel the true condition,” concluded Jokowi.
When Jokowi was in the KRL, not a few passengers invited to take pictures. Jokowi did not feel reluctant to serve their request.
Executive Director of Indonesian Political Parameters Adi Prayitno considers Jokowi trying to maintain the impression that he is a populist figure. According to him, it is only natural that there are parties who assume this. Moreover, Jokowi has often shown such an attitude to this end.
Jokowi’s actions in the jostling in KRL also became a political commodity for Prabowo’s National Winning Body – Sandiaga. They mentioned that Joko Widodo was currently imaging, but this was not justified by the Jokowi – Mauf National TKN Campaign Team.
“Improvement or structuring of railroad mass transportation took place during the Jokowi administration. Formerly when entering a long vacation. Eid al-Fitr and others, especially the KRL that every day serves users to go home from work, seen above the carriage full of seated passengers, even small children through windows, slum stations. Such a scene is now no longer visible, “said the TKN Special Assignment Team, Nusyirwan Soejono.
Nusyirwan also added that currently the development of mass transportation is being intensified such as LRT and MRT. According to him, by riding the KRL directly is an effort made by Jokowi to observe the improvement of mass transportation.
“People who will judge whether an image is or not. When Mr. Jokowi returned to Bogor on KRL, there were no media crews accompanying him, ”explained this member of the House of Representatives Commission V.
Jokowi – Ma’ruf Amin’s National Campaign Team (TKN) Secretary Hasto Kristiyanto considered that the party who made the accusation that Jokowi was doing the imaging while riding the KRL had actually failed to understand Jokowi, because, since Joko Widodo served as mayor in Solo, himself indeed I have often met with the people.
“Since becoming Mayor of Solo, since becoming Governor and President, Mr. Jokowi has often met people,” Hasto said.
His party also stated that the imaging allegations aimed at Jokowi’s actions were because they were unable to do the same. Moreover, communicating with the people like the way Jokowi is used is indeed not easy.
Eva Chairunisa as Vice President of Corporate Communication at PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia (KCI) said that she did not get any information regarding President Jokowi who decided spontaneously to return to Bogor Palace using the Commuterline Electric Train (KRL).
“PT KCI only found out shortly after Mr. Jokowi arrived at the station. “Of course it’s very appreciative to the President who uses KRL services and feels the atmosphere of a natural KRL trip everyday,” said Eva.
The Deputy for Protocol, Press and Media at the Presidential Secretariat, Bey Machmudin, also confirmed that Jokowi used KRL when he returned to Bogor.
In a photo that was viral on social media, Jokowi appeared to be in one of the carriages and was jostling with other passengers. He also stood among the crowd of passengers and held on to one of the hand grips. In one of the photos, the Paspampres Commander, Maruli Simanjuntak, stood beside Jokowi.
This shows that even though Jokowi boarded public transportation, he also received escort according to protocol. This was confirmed by Pampampres Commander Maruli Simanjuntak.
“Only the activities around it (Bulungan GOR), you want to go home by train,” said Maruli.
From the action, we know that Jokowi does have a style of work that wants to be close to the people, on one occasion he once said that he wanted to touch the people every day, and the action was one proof of Jokowi’s closeness with the people.
*) Students of Bengkulu State University
