"This is indeed not my first experience accompanying President Joko Widodo on a working visit, as previously, I have been invited to undertake working visits in several other provinces and districts in Indonesia," he explained.
However, there was something unique about this visit. Apart from the fact that it was undertaken in his homeland, Jokowi's working visit to Papua was one of the longest duration.
"Hence, I had the opportunity to witness several spontaneous moments of the president's humanist actions with Papuans, which were not caught on camera by journalists or the press. I am grateful to God, given the trust to accompany him, so that I can see up close," Mambrasar admitted.
He recalled three spontaneous incidents involving Jokowi in Papua that are etched in his memory, including when the president got out of the car and headed to the place where women were selling knitted Papuan bags, or noken.
Mambrasar was moved on seeing the president fix the layout of the mamas' noken, which were arranged based on colors and designs.
"He did it quickly and carefully, before then interacting again with the mamas, who were selling, and then buying the noken she sold," according to Mambrasar who recounted President Jokowi's actions that he witnessed while accompanying him in Papua quite recently.
The second spontaneous deed took place in Sorong City next to the corn farm. While visiting the farmers, the president paused when a kid, with a heavy Papuan accent, shouted “Pace Jokowi, woiii!! Mari dolo, mari dolo!!”
Mambrasar said it sounded disrespectful to the entourage accompanying the president, yet Jokowi paused for a moment, smiled through the swamp grass, and waved at the child.
"There was no feeling of offence or irritation shown by Mr Jokowi at that time. He even walked towards the child but was warned by the Head of Sorong District at that time that the road was soft and the swamp was deep and quite dangerous (to walk upon). Eventually, the president, who was halfway, then turned back, then signaled to the kid to turn around and met him on a more congested road," Mambrasar recalled.
The president then gave the child a t-shirt and a book, he noted.
The third action took place when the president gave away a jacket to a Papuan teenager in Sorong City.
"At that time, a mother pushed her kid forward, who was then held by the president by the shoulder to prevent him from losing his balance while standing. The Presidential Security Force had warned the mother that what was done to her child was dangerous. The president still took pictures with the child and his mother and gave them both books and T-shirts and let them go with his trademark smile," the Presidential Staff remarked.
The significance of the president's action
Mambrasar noted that the three spontaneous actions of the president in Papua were not caught on camera.
When the president, once a small furniture entrepreneur, corrected the arrangements of the nokens, he did seem to understand the struggles of small business actors.
"Mr Jokowi arranges the nokens. The ones with more attractive designs and lighter colors are displayed at the front in order to attract the attention of passers-by to buy the goods sold by these mamas," he stated.
In the second action, he said that the president could understand the acts of children, who did not comprehend etiquette, and were still in the learning process.
"The president understands the child is only expressing admiration for him and his desire to express," he elaborated.
As for the third action undocumented by cameras, the president's response to help maintain the child's balance, who was pushed by the mother, was his natural instinct to protect.
"He did not feel angry with his mother's behavior, but he instead took pictures and gave souvenirs to both of them. This moment was so spontaneous that it was not recorded by the reporters who were there," Mambrasar reminisced.
He opined that those three deeds by the president in Papua reflected his compassion and empathy for the Indonesian people, especially for Papuans.
"Compassion and empathy are the main trademarks of being a leader in order to make big changes and to build and advance others. In leadership, being smart is not the main aspect, power is not absolute, but humility and sincerity. Those are the basis of propriety and one's ability to be called a leader," he added.
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Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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