President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo and his family gathered on Thursday to pay their final respects to Jokowi’s late mother, Sujiatmi Notomiharjo, who was laid to rest at Gundu cemetery in Gondangrejo subdistrict, Karanganyar, Central Java, the Jakarta Post reported.
The burial took place at 1.18 pm local time, after the president held a funeral prayer in Surakarta, his hometown and the city where his mother had lived.
Sujiatmi, who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 77 after a four-year battle with throat cancer, was buried next to her husband, Widjiatno Notomiharjo.
As the funeral took place amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the family had arranged it to comply with physical distancing measures.
They allowed only 500 people to attend the funeral, consisting of state officials, relatives and public figures. Chairs for the attendees were placed 1 metre apart.
A number of prominent figures, including East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa, People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker Bambang Soesatyo and Regional Representative Council (DPD) speaker La Nyalla Mattalitti attended the funeral.
Indonesian Military personnel, National Police personnel, journalists and members of Presidential Security Detail (Paspampres) were also present.
The attendees were required to undergo health screenings, including temperature checks, and were sprayed with disinfectant before entering the cemetery. They were also given masks to be worn at the burial ground.
During the funeral, Jokowi was accompanied by his eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka. The First Family left the cemetery at 1.50 pm without giving an official statement.
