President Prabowo Subianto was escorted by Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin in a Pindad-made Maung tactical vehicle after the handover ceremony at the Ministry of Defense on Tuesday (October 22). Crowds lined the streets along Jalan Merdeka Barat all the way to the Merdeka Palace, eager to catch a glimpse of Indonesia’s 8th President.
“Pak Prabowo, Mr. President,” they called out. Prabowo responded by offering a respectful salute. Among the crowd was a woman named Ayu, who was overjoyed to meet Prabowo. She had brought along a copy of Prabowo’s book titled Merah Putih and was lucky enough to get his autograph.
“I finally got his signature. Thank you, sir. Stay healthy, and may you always succeed,” Ayu said with tears of happiness. The post quickly garnered attention, with netizens flooding the comments to express their own excitement. One user shared their desire to meet Prabowo with a teary-eyed emoji.
Another user mentioned owning the same book but lamented not yet having the chance to meet Prabowo. Similarly, another user expressed admiration for Ayu’s good fortune. Another fan reminisced about their own experience, saying, “I’m also a big fan! I only got to see him from afar at GBK in 2019, and I was already thrilled. I can’t imagine getting that close!”
The shared joy of citizens reflects the strong admiration and connection many feel toward President Prabowo.