Jakarta, Dec 31 (Antara) - The presence of Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in Yogkarta attracted the people's attention in the city at the end of 2017.
The president invited people, who visited the Malioboro street to come into the courtyard of the Presidential Palace of Yogyakarta or Gedung Agung to take pictures together.
Earlier, Jokowi took a walk along Malioboro street on Sunday, together with his son, Kaesang Pangarep.
They departed from the Yogyakarta presidential palace at 9:35 a.m. local time. Jokowi was wearing a white T-Shirt, black sweatpants and red sneakers.
Several passers-by greeted, shook hand, and even took selfies with the Head of State. He also bought six red and orange bags from a female vendor.
After a one-km walk, Jokowi and Pangarep took a rest in the front yard of the Yogyakarta Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) office building.
On Saturday evening, President Jokowi also visited Malioboro street to check vendors offering their goods along the street.
Meanwhile in Pamekasan, E Java, Khofifah Indar Parawansa, urged members of Muslimat NU, the women`s wing of Indonesia`s largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), to pray for Palestinians following the claim of Jerusalem as Israeli capital.
"Not only we pray now, but we must pray all the times, at home and during every gathering of Muslimat NU," Parawansa, concurrently Social Affairs Minister, said before thousands of women from the Muslimat NU, during commemoration of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad SAW (peace be upon him), on Sunday.
Muslims all over the world, including in Indonesia, have protested US President Donald Trump for illegally recognizing Jerusalem as the Israel`s capital.
Parawansa and the Muslimat NU members sang an old song entitled Israel popularized by Nasyidaria gambus music group tens of years ago.
The minister was in tear while singing the song which describes Jerusalem as Holy Land for Muslims, Christians and Jews.
In Jakarta, the Provincial Government organized a mass wedding for 437 couples from 44 sub-districts with the facilities provided by the provincial government.
On the occasion, the Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and the Deputy Governor Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno witnessed the mass wedding on Sunday night in a bid to welcome the Year 2018.
"Tonight is unique, we do not only welcome the New Year but also welcome the new couples in Jakarta," Anies pointed out.
Each couple will receive one gram of gold as dowry to be provided by Tamasia Indonesia gold online shop.
The mass wedding ceremony took place at a parking lot of MH Thamrin street.
In addition, the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) also carried out bazaar and culinary festival.
In effort to welcome the New Year, people in several cities such in Banjarmasin (South Kalimantan), Bogor (West Java), Kendari (South-East Sulawesi and Padang (West Sumatra) conducted mass praying.
Apart from that in Medan, North Sumatra, an Islamic preacher, Al Ustad Sholeh Mahmoed (Solmed) invited the citizens of Medan to multiply alms because besides the religious order, the alms also as a form of concern to others especially to the poor.
In the meantime, a total of 1,589 Christians attended a ceremony at the Evangelical Christian Church (GKI) in Tanah Papua Klasis Jayapura, Papua Province on Sunday night.
With regard to entertainment to enliven the the new year's eve, the Provincial Government of Jakarta also held entertainment stages such as at the National Monument or Monas area and at Ancol Carnival Beach.
The noted "Dangdut" singer, Rhoma Irama became the main star in the musical performances titled "Happy New Year Indonesia 2018" in Monas Square, Jakarta, Sunday night, which was attended by tens of thousands of spectators.
The "Happy New Year Indonesia 2018" musical show organized by a private television station in cooperation with Jakarta Capital City Government, as one of the attractions of Jakarta and its surrounding community.
In West Java's capital city of Bandung, the City administration held a festival of Indian culture in a bid to welcome the New Year 2018 in Braga Street on Sunday night, according to the city mayor, Ridwan Kamil in Bandung.
In the meantime, thousand climbers celebrated the New Year's Eve at Mount Kerinci, in Kerinci District, Jambi Province. Around 20,000 police personnel were deployed in Jakarta on Sunday night to secure the situation on the New Year's Eve.
Residents in a number of regions across the country also let fireworks off. (*)
Editor : Slamet Hadi Purnomo
COPYRIGHT © ANTARA News Jawa Timur 2018