Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono and Siti Ruby Aliya Rajasa
Guess what? No gifts for wedding of SBY’s son
The Jakarta Post | Tue, 11/22/2011 8:27 PM
JAKARTA: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is asking that the 3,500 guests invited to attend the wedding reception of his second son, Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono, and Coordinating Minister for the Economy Hatta Rajasa’s daughter, Siti Ruby Aliya Rajasa, not bring presents.The wedding reception is scheduled for Monday at the Jakarta Convention Center.
According to presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha, the guests were asked not to bring gifts because Edhie, or Ibas, is a legislator and the parents of the bride and groom are statesmen.
“The arriving guests are obliged to show the official invitation before entering the room,” he said, adding that they should not bring presents.
He said that the organizers were aware of the rule banning presents, which might be considered gratuities.
JAKARTA, RIMANEWS - As his future daughter-in-law participated in a traditional pre-wedding ceremony, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono denied that his youngest son’s pending marriage was intended to create a “love coalition” between his Democratic Party and the National Mandate Party.
Tuesday marked the first of three days of matrimonial ceremonies linking Yudhoyono’s son, Edhie Baskoro, known as Ibas, to politician Hatta Rajasa’s daughter, Siti Ruby Aliya.
Officials from the National Mandate Party (PAN) have said that Hatta, the party’s leader, is their only viable presidential candidate. Meanwhile, the current president’s party finds itself without an electable candidate as Yudhoyono ’s final term winds down.
According to “love coalition” speculation, the impending marriage was designed to give the Democratic Party a candidate it could support in Hatta.
Yudhoyono said, however, that Hatta’s daughter was Ibas’ personal choice.
“We ask for Allah’s blessing upon our plan to marry our sons and daughters Edhie Baskoro and his choice Siti Ruby Aliya Rajasa on November 24, 2011,” he said.
Whether or not the marriage represents the meeting of two political parties, it certainly does bring two of the archipelago’s cultures together.
While Ibas’ family is Javanese, Aliya’s is South Sumatran.
According to Yudhoyono, the union will combine these backgrounds in two dimensions: culture and religion.
“The traditions will be jointly Javanese and from Palembang, South Sumatra. For the wedding ceremony we will use Palembang traditions, and for the reception we will observe Javanese tradition,” Yudhoyono said in his introduction to an Islamic reading ceremony at his private residence on Tuesday in Cikeas, Bogor.
The president and his family hung a bleketepe woven palm leaf curtain on the front gate of their home, and after the reading they engaged in a traditional bathing ceremony, whereby the president poured water from seven special locations over his son. Hatta performed the same ceremony for his daughter at his home.
In a final traditional act, the Yudhoyono family released a young cockerel in front of their home before beginning a procession from Cikeas to Aliya’s home in Fatmawati, South Jakarta.
Upon reaching Aliya’s home, the participants were due to take part in the midodareni ceremony. During that ritual, the bride sits secluded in her room until midnight, when female members of her family and the bridegroom’s family arrive to give her useful advice for married life.
The actual wedding ceremony will take place on Thursday at the Cipanas state palace in Bogor, with a reception following two days later for 3,500 guests at the Jakarta Convention Center.
Yudhoyono said the traditional elements of the reception would likely enthrall foreign guests.
“In addition to the religious ceremony, elements based on Indonesian customs are of great interest to guests from friendly countries,” Yudhoyono said. “God willing, we will be able to conduct proceedings in as orderly and solemn a fashion as possible.”
As for the future of the Democratic Party’s two-term hold on the presidency, the deputy head of the party said the Ibas-Aliya union was no guarantee that his party would support Hatta as its candidate in 2014.
“Why mix love and politics?” Max Sopacua said. “People don’t fall in love because of political parties. They do it because of the attraction between two hearts.”
“This is a mere coincidence, and the idea of a coalition is just a public perception,” he said, adding that members of the Democratic Party had not yet discussed a presidential candidate.
“Anything can happen. We have promised we won’t choose a candidate until 2013,” he said. “And it’s not only the central leadership board that decides, but the entire party assembly. Yudhuyono’s in-laws are not a part of that.”
Ibas, Aliya wedding: When politics and romance match up
Nani Afrida and Hans David Tampubolon, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 11/23/2011 8:35 AM
The love story of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s youngest son, Edhie “Ibas” Baskoro, and Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa’s eldest daughter, Siti Ruby Aliya Rajasa, may not be as romantic as the tale of Romeo and Juliet, but has echoes in a classic piece of literature from West Sumatra. It was not love at first sight for the happy couple, but when love blossomed it was gently nurtured by their parents.
Ibas, 31, and Aliya, 25, often met in gatherings of Cabinet members’ families but both already had other partners.
“Ibas started to fall for Aliya during a gathering at the Cipanas presidential palace [in West Java] in 2010,” said Aliya’s friend, Fahira Idris, the daughter of former industry minister Fahmi Idris, who served in Yudhoyono’s Cabinet between 2004 and 2009.
“Their relationship was forged when Ibas engaged Aliya in a private conversation at the palace’s fish pond.”
Ibas then spoke about his love for Aliya with Yudhoyono and First Lady Ani Yudhoyono, who instantly endorsed the match. “After that Bu Ani met Bu Okke Rajasa [Aliya’s mother] to tell her that Ibas had a crush on her daughter, and asking her to help out with their relationship,” said Fahira.
A source close to Aliya said that Aliya had at first rejected Ibas as she already had a boyfriend working in the United Kingdom, where Aliya also studied for her master’s degree.
“But things didn’t go as well as planned and Aliya finally agreed to her parent’s suggestion to marry Ibas,” said the source.
Hatta has denied allegations of an arranged marriage as in the tragic tale of Siti Nurbaya who was forced by her parents to marry Datuk Ma-ringgih in settlement of a debt.
Hatta is the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), the nation’s fifth largest party and key member of Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party-led coalition. PAN has already named Hatta as a vice presidential candidate in the 2014 election, with his running mate yet to be decided.
Ibas and Aliya started on Tuesday a series of traditional rituals ahead of their wedding on Thursday at the Cipanas palace.
Ibas held a Javanese bathing ritual at Yudhoyono’s private residence in Puri Cikeas, West Java, attended by a limited number of guests, mainly members of the First Family.
State Secretary Sudi Silalahi, Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam and Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Joko Suyanto were also seen at the ritual.
A school with about 300 pupils, located near Puri Cikeas was closed due to traffic concerns. Nongovernmental organization Bendera said the wedding would cost at least Rp 7.4 billion (US$822,000) for meals and invitations alone. The bride and groom will hold a lavish reception on Saturday at the Jakarta Convention Center, attended by around 3,500 guests.
“Not a penny of state money will be used to finance this wedding. The money is from our own pocket,” said Yudhoyono, who earns less than $7,000 a month as president.
Sources : the Jakarta Post and Rimannews.com
Let's wish them every single day of happiness, wonderful offsprings and success in their marriage.
