President Jokowi’s ‘Ordinary’ Style: Simplicity and the ‘Wealth of Poverty’?

From Past to Present Examples

 

There have also been more contemporary examples of such deliberate, calculated efforts to re-invent one’s political persona in the region: After the victory of the Communist party in Vietnam, its leader Ho Chi Minh was elevated to the highest office in the state. Those who have paid a visit to Hanoi may have also visited Ho Chi Minh’s modest lodgings in the small house at the back of the monumentally impressive Presidential Palace, that was built during the French colonial era in beaux-arts style.

 

Ho Chi Minh’s decision never to reside in the palace was to make the point that he would not allow himself to be swayed by the culture and luxury of the French colonial era, and that he would remain ‘untainted’ by wealth and power. It was a political decision that was symbolic in meaning, and understood by millions of Vietnamese who revered him all the more for it.

 

In Malaysia and Singapore other leaders have also opted for a simpler life in the past: Malaysia’s first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman lived in a government-owned bungalow at Kenny Hills, Kuala Lumpur; while in Singapore the country’s founder-leader Lee Kuan Yew set the tone for the government by living in his family bungalow instead of moving into the official residence of Sri Temasek in the Istana domain; while Singapore’s first President Yusof Ishak stayed in a small villa behind the Istana. Having no home in Jakarta after moving from Solo where he was mayor, President Jokowi is staying at his official residence at the Merdeka Palace.

 

‘Poor’ is Not ‘Weak’

President Jokowi’s ordinary style is thus in keeping with a long tradition of political self-representation that dates back to the premodern era in Asia. At a glance it gives the clear impression of being a style that is popular and resonates with the ordinary masses, but it also happens to be a statement of intent in many other respects: It signals a rejection of empty formality and ritualism while placing value on pragmatism and real work; it signals a detachment from petty concerns about social status and popular prejudice and entails a higher evaluation of performance and delivery. It has certainly boosted his image as a no-nonsense, get-straight-to-work leader who will manage things personally.

 

This approach is also in keeping with President Jokowi’s pledge to turn things around for Indonesia as fast as possible, in order to deal with real issues such as logistics, institutional inertia, supply and demand blocks, etc., all of which happen to be real issues of political-economy that can only be solved through methods and work-practice that are rational and programmatic, rather than rhetorical flourishes or nostalgia for the past.

 

By rejecting a presidential style that is overly formal and ritualistic, Jokowi has shown that he is the man in charge, and that appearing ‘poor’ does not mean that he is ‘weak’ in any way – but that he is ‘above’ such concerns and that he operates on the highest level of all, as President of the republic of Indonesia.

 

 

Farish A. Noor is an Associate Professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University.