From Starbucks In Mecca To Absen At Unpad: Long Controversy Of Presidential Envoy, Zita Anjani

Zita Anjani/DOK PHOTO via Instagram @zitaanjani

JAKARTA - The Presidential Special Envoy for Tourism, Zita Anjani, has returned to the public spotlight after being canceled at the Sustainable Tourism Masters seminar at Padjadjaran University (Unpad), Bandung, last weekend. In fact, he is scheduled to be the main speaker at the event.

Zita's absence sparked criticism, especially because at almost the same time she uploaded sports activities at the fitness center through her social media accounts. This is considered unprofessional and raises questions about the public officials' commitment to the official agenda.

The Unpad Alumni Association even expressed open protests and asked for an evaluation of Zita's role as the president's special envoy.

The spotlight on Zita is not the only time. Before being appointed as the Presidential Special Envoy in October 2024, the daughter of PAN General Chair Zulkifli Hasan was involved in controversy several times.

In April 2024, Zita uploaded a photo of herself holding a Starbucks glass with the background of the Kaaba while performing Umrah. The post drew criticism because Starbucks is often associated with the issue of boycotting pro-Israel products.

Responding to the criticism, Zita explained that the coffee she was holding was not the result of a personal purchase, but was given at the hotel where she was staying. He admitted that the upload was intended to trigger discussions about the existence of global products in the Holy Land, not to show off or support certain parties.

In addition, in July 2024, Zita was also called absent from the plenary meeting of the DKI Jakarta DPRD and became a public spotlight after a photo of herself exercising spread on social media.

Zita denied the accusation of skipping. He explained that the meeting in question was a meeting of the views of the factions and not decision-making, so that the presence of all leaders was not mandatory. Zita also said that on the same day she was still carrying out other diversity tasks, including agendas to the community.

Responding to his latest criticism regarding his absence from Unpad, Zita apologized through an official statement. He admitted that there was a miscommunication about the schedule that made him cancel attending.

Regarding posts at the fitness center, Zita said that the moment was done outside the seminar schedule and was not meant to underestimate the academic agenda.

"As a special envoy, I remain committed to supporting the world of Indonesian education and tourism. I respect the criticism that comes in and will make it an evaluation material," he said in a written statement.