Chairperson of the 2025 National Pacu Jalur Committee, Werry Ramadhana Putera, said that the district head and deputy district head of Kuansing met with Gibran in Jakarta on Wednesday and invited him to open the traditional cultural race.
“During today’s audience, the district head and deputy district head of Kuansing officially invited Vice President Gibran to attend Pacu Jalur. We hope he can come and witness the vibrancy of this cultural event first-hand,” he informed in a statement received in Pekanbaru on Wednesday.
He said that Gibran’s presence would be a great source of pride for the people of Kuansing.
In addition to showing support for cultural preservation, the Vice President is also expected to review the current condition of the Pacu Jalur arena in Tepian Narosa Teluk Kuantan, which is in need of rehabilitation.
If he accepts the invite, Gibran would be the second vice president to attend Pacu Jalur in person after Jusuf Kalla, who joined the event in 2006.
Gibran’s enthusiasm for the annual Pacu Jalur event was evident in a recent video in which he imitated the moves of a young paddler, who sparked a global “aura farming” trend after a video showed him dancing effortlessly at the tip of a boat.
In his 17-second video, Gibran, dressed in a grey shirt, can be seen dancing in step with the child to the beats of Young Black & Rich, against the backdrop of hills.
According to Putera, the video helped elevate the Pacu Jalur Festival’s visibility on both national and international stages.
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Translator: Primayanti
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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