President's Office Staff's 20 Million Won Pet Dog Wedding... Indonesian Public Outrage

Controversy Over Indonesian Presidential Office Staff
Apology Saying "Deep Regret" Amid Criticism
40% of Citizens Facing Economic Insecurity

A government official working at the Indonesian Presidential Office held a lavish wedding ceremony for their pet dog but eventually issued an official apology after facing public criticism.

According to local media such as the daily Kompas on the 21st (local time), an ultra-luxurious "pet dog wedding" costing nearly 20 million won was held at a shopping mall in Jakarta, Indonesia, on the 14th.

The wedding protagonists were Jojo (male) and Luna (female), Alaskan Malamute large breed dogs. Jojo and Luna wore traditional Javanese wedding attire and took photos with their owners. It is reported that the event cost about 200 million rupiah (approximately 17.14 million won).

However, as photos of the dogs dressed in wedding clothes spread on social networking services (SNS), critical public opinion arose. The reason was that traditional Javanese wedding clothes were put on dogs, not humans. In Islamic communities, dogs are considered unclean animals, and contact with them is generally avoided except in some exceptional cases.

On the 14th (local time), Luna, an Alaskan Malamute, sat wearing traditional Javanese wedding attire at a pet dog wedding held at a shopping mall in Jakarta, Indonesia. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The excessive cost spent on the pet dogs also became an issue. Local netizens raised critical voices such as "Instead of wasting money unnecessarily, they should have helped people in need," "Common sense disappeared trampled by the desire to show off," and "A waste of money and an act of disrespecting God."

In fact, 40% of the Indonesian population still suffers from economic insecurity. According to the World Bank (WB), out of Indonesia's 270 million people, 120 million are economically unstable. This means they are in a state where they could fall into poverty when shocks such as epidemics, natural disasters, or economic recessions occur, accounting for about 40% of the entire Indonesian population.

In particular, 16% of the total population is counted as poor with a daily income of less than $3.2 (about 4,100 won). In other words, the pet dog owners spent more money on a one-day event for their pets than the 10-year income of the poor.

Moreover, criticism intensified when it became known that Indra Ratnasari, the owner of the female dog Luna, is an employee working at the Indonesian Presidential Office.

Eventually, Jojo and Luna's owners held a press conference and apologized. They explained that they had no intention of insulting Javanese culture and that the event was rather to promote Javanese wedding culture. Ratnasari said, "I deeply regret this," and "I want to apologize to Javanese culture enthusiasts and all Indonesian people who were uncomfortable and hurt by this event."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.