Interpreting Sungkem Kaesang And Gibran To Megawati In Political Glasses

Kaesang Pangarep saluted Megawati Soekarnoputri during the draw for the presidential candidate number at the KPU, Tuesday, November 14, 2023. (Istiimewa)

JAKARTA There is an interesting view at the General Elections Commission (KPU) office during the draw for the serial numbers of presidential and vice presidential candidates for the 2024 General Election, Tuesday (14/11/2023). The two sons of President Joko Widodo, Gibran Rakabuming Raka and Kaesang Pangarep, were seen sungkem at PDIP General Chair Megawati Soekarnoputri.

The moment occurred shortly after Megawati sat in her chair. Gibran, who was wearing a blue shirt, and Kaesang who wore the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) jacket, came to Megawati.

The two of them alternately greeted Megawati. Kaesang, Jokowi's youngest child, even seemed to be smiling.

Without seeing what has happened in the past month, what the public sees how Jokowi's two sons greet Megawati is a common thing. Especially in our culture, greeting, greeting and greeting people who are older and jamak. Not even a few who call it the obligation of young people to older people.

But what becomes interesting is that this moment occurred in the midst of the turmoil between Megawati and Jokowi's family which reportedly heated up.

Jokowi's family is said to have betrayed Megawati and PDIP's kindness. A number of politicians from the party bearing the whitenose also criticized Jokowi's political maneuvers.

Jokowi is accused of abusing his power to smooth Gibran's move to run as a candidate for vice president Prabowo Subianto from the Advanced Indonesia Coalition through the decision of the Constitutional Court (MK) some time ago.

Seeing the heated situation lately, Jokowi's two children welcomed Megawati's attention. Director of Political Parameters Adi Prayitno said the moment of shaking between the two camps that were reportedly being opposite was an extraordinary tradition.

"This is a touching political moment because for about a month there has been an extraordinary political confrontation between the PDIP elite and Jokowi's extended family," said Adi Prayitno.

"This is touching because Kaesang and Gibran have come to Megawati, then shake hands, sungkem, this is an extraordinary political tradition, an extraordinary respect given by Gibran and Kaesang," he added.

In line with Adi, a political observer from Bengkulu, Andriadi Achmad gave a thumbs up for the attitude of Gibran and Kaesang who visited Megawati.

Andriadi said Jokowi's two sons showed manners that were indeed characteristic of Indonesian culture.

That's manners. Politically, Kaesang is the chairman of PSI while Gibran is the vice presidential candidate. But there we see the politeness of young people to parents and indeed it must be familiarized with older people, "said Andriadi to VOI.

"They consider Megawati as a parent, a person who is respected, respected, regardless of the assumption that PDIP is expected by Kaesang and Gibran as traitors. This shows no grudges," said Andriadi.

In the midst of Gibran and Kaesang's efforts to reduce the heat of political temperatures, it turned out that the moment of shaking the two of them against Megawati was not received positively by all parties.

This can be seen from the existence of parties who deliberately cut video moments of shaking hands so that it seems as if Kaesang's sunkem was rejected by Megawati and then uploaded it to social media, causing a different narrative.

It didn't stop there. Gibran and Kaesang's sungkem moments to Megawati were also seen as negative by a number of circles. This is referred to as a continuation of political dramas from the Jokowi family.

Many have questioned why Gibran and Kaesang had to shake hands with Megawati in public, not behind closed doors by coming to the house of the PDIP chairman.

Adi thought that the emergence of parties who seemed to want to deliberately make the political atmosphere ahead of the 2024 presidential election hot. He said that the moment of shaking Gibran and Kaesang to Megawati who was capitalized on social media was not good.

"If we look at social media as if Kaesang's header was rejected, even though previously there had been a shake. Regardless of the motive behind this sungkeman is an extraordinary political culture. Just make it cool," Adi emphasized.

In politics, differences of opinion are common. Differences in plural choices occur in society. However, as Adi Prayitno and other political observers say, do not let parties capitalize on this moment to make the atmosphere of the 2024 presidential election not cool.

From this moment there is hope that there is no need for revenge in politics and hopefully the gesture of mutual respect between the two camps can be followed by the bases below.