Registration for the Indonesian Independence Day Ceremony Reaches 336 Thousand, the Palace Adds 3,400 Seats

JAKARTA - The enthusiasm of the public to attend the 81st Independence Day ceremony at the Merdeka Palace soared. More than 336,000 people registered for five days, while the initial capacity available was only around 5,500 people.

The Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said the government finally added one block to increase the number of invitations for the public.

"The total is approximately above 336,000 applicants. In fact, the capacity that is possible is only 5,500, but we ensure that there are 3,400 more seats," said Prasetyo when reviewing the rehearsal ceremony in the courtyard of the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday, August 11.

The additional 3,400 seats are planned to be divided for the morning and afternoon ceremonies.

The government is also considering adding tents around the Palace area. However, this facility is not for official invitations.

According to Prasetyo, tents are prepared for people who usually come to watch from outside the Istana fence.

"So that watching it is also more enjoyable, we will try to prepare a more representative place," he said.

Preparations for the ceremony on Tuesday are still partially carried out. The ceremony team and Paskibraka, who had previously trained separately, began to undergo joint training at the Palace.

Starting Wednesday, the committee will hold a trial run to see more details of the parts that still need to be repaired.

Prasetyo also apologized to road users because over the next few days there will be adjustments and traffic closures on a number of sections around Veteran Street and Medan Merdeka Utara.

The committee, which began on Tuesday, also assigned a number of government officials to deliver official invitations to former presidents, former vice presidents, and the families of presidents and vice presidents.