The Story of President Megawati's Three Eids at the Palace (5)

During the presidential term from July 23, 2001, to October 20, 2004, the fifth President of Indonesia, Megawati Soekarnoputri, celebrated Eid al-Fitr three times and held an "open house" at the Presidential Palace. Various stories marked the Eid celebrations during Megawati's era.

On December 16, 2001, President Megawati and her husband, Taufik Kiemas, attended the Eid al-Fitr 1422 Hijri prayer at the Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta. Referring to the Kompas news archive, at the end of the Eid prayer event, it was announced to the audience that in the afternoon, from 16:30-18:00, an “open house” would be held at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.

As a result, since around 2:00 PM WIB, hundreds of people from various walks of life have been waiting in the courtyard of the State Secretariat. They are waiting to enter the grounds of the State Palace after first passing through a gate equipped with detection devices.

There are two doors equipped with detectors that must be passed through before they can enter the Palace. One by one, hundreds of citizens of various age groups shook hands with President Megawati and her husband, who stood in the front hall of the Presidential Palace.

A democracy without responsibility will not lead us to the goals of independence that have been eloquently formulated by the founders of this nation and state.

In the morning, the "open house" at the Presidential Palace took place for two hours. The event, held from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM WIB, was specifically intended for government/state officials and their families, entrepreneurs, and ambassadors of friendly nations. Additionally, it was also for Palace and State Secretariat Office employees, members of the DPR/MPR, artists, and members of the public with special invitations.

There was something interesting noted by Kompas journalists at the handshake moment at the Palace. This happened when Taufik Kiemas greeted his guests warmly. And, when shaking hands with journalists, Taufik said loudly, "Thank you for the criticisms that have been thrown out."

On the following Eid al-Fitr, President Megawati performed the Eid prayer for 1 Shawwal 1423 at the Istiqlal Mosque. In his sermon before thousands of worshippers on December 6, 2002, the then Minister of Religious Affairs, Said Agil Husin Al Munawar, stated, among other things, that a concerning issue was that many people still refused to apologize for the mistakes they had made.

"On the contrary, many among us are still reluctant to forgive the mistakes made by others, even though those individuals have repented and apologized for their errors and negligence," said Said Agil.

In the afternoon, President Megawati and her husband shook hands with about 1,900 residents at an “open house.” After shaking hands with the President, each person was given a package of nasi liwet food.

At this moment, Kompas noted that a young mother, Yulianti (22) who was only seven months pregnant, fainted while holding Megawati's hand. The Presidential Security Forces then carried her out of the Palace. After being laid in the press room for a few moments, Yulianti regained consciousness.

A different experience was had by Ani (42), a cloth trader on the side of Jalan Tanah Abang IV and Siti Rachma (40), a domestic helper on Jalan Veteran, Jakarta. Both of them cried bitterly after being able to hold Megawati's hand.

The “open house” pattern at the Palace, which was divided into two, morning and afternoon, was also carried out on Lebaran, November 25, 2003. At the afternoon “open house”, almost 2,000 people lined up in front of the State Palace to shake hands with President Megawati and her husband.

In the morning, the General Chairman of the Muhammadiyah Central Leadership, Syafii Ma'arif, in his Eid prayer sermon at the Istiqlal Mosque, spoke about justice.

"Justice should not be played with. A religion that does not defend justice is a religion that has withered, a religion that has lost its spirit of life," said Syafii in front of President Megawati, Vice President Hamzah Haz, Speaker of the House of Representatives Akbar Tandjung, Chief Justice Bagis Manan, cabinet members, and thousands of people present at the Istiqlal Mosque.

In theory, Syafii said, Indonesia is said to be a country of law. Laws that are not upheld will only further destroy the people's hopes of seeing a strong Indonesia as a country of law.

Syafii also touched on the issue of democracy. "A democratic system without responsibility will not bring us to the goal of independence that has been beautifully formulated by the founders of this nation and state," said Syafii Ma'arif.

Time continued to pass. The Gotong Royong Cabinet led by President Megawati entered its final year, precisely on October 20, 2004. However, at the end of September 2024, the cabinet specifically held a limited coordination meeting in the economic sector to prepare for the implementation of Eid al-Fitr, Christmas 2004, and New Year 2005.