President Jokowi Recalls The “Up And Down” Moment Of The Sarinah Escalator In The '70s

President Joko Widodo and Mrs. Riana Jokowi use the escalator at the Sarinah Shopping Center, Jakarta, Thursday (14-7-2022). ANTARA/Desca Lidya Natalia

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo said that his grandfather once asked him to use the escalator at the Sarinah shopping center.

"I remember very well in the '70s my grandfather invited me to come to Sarinah. Maybe in 1973-1974 and at that time (the building) only had escalators in Sarinah. I went up, down, up, down, very happy ," said President Joko Widodo at the Sarinah shopping center, Central Jakarta, as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, July 14.

The Sarinah shopping center is located on Jalan MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta and will resume operations on March 21, 2022 with a total of 5 million visitors for 4 months. It was recorded that there were 500 MSMEs selling their wares at this location.

"I remember very well. These are the things that leave a memory that impresses people from the regions who come to Jakarta, they will definitely come to Sarinah," said the President.

Sarinah, according to President Jokowi, has an extraordinary history and meaning because it was initiated directly by the First President of the Republic of Indonesia, Ir. Sukarno.

"It was initiated by the Proclaimer of Independence, the first president of the Republic of Indonesia, Ir. Soekarno, with a very noble mission, namely to trade in local goods and goods for our domestic products. This is what we will continue," the President added.

The President also left a message that Sarinah's transformation was not just a physical building.

"What is truly beautiful is the interior, but the spirit, strategy, commitment, and way of working must be changed so that Sarinah will always become an icon of our nation," said the President.

President Jokowi hopes that Sarinah will also have a multiplier effect on MSME actors.

"To our craftsmen, to the arts and culture and especially to entrepreneurs of our domestic products which have very good quality," said the President.

This shopping center was founded on August 17, 1962 by President Soekarno. The name "Sarinah" comes from the name of Soekarno's caregiver in childhood and was first conceived by him, following his visit to a number of countries that already had modern shopping centers.

It was also Soekarno's intention to create a shopping center to meet the needs of the people to get cheap but good quality goods.