President Joko Widodo was different when attending the 73rd anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia's independence at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta.
Unlike previous years, Jokowi became a ceremony inspector wearing traditional clothes from Aceh. "Our country has a lot of tradition. The traditional clothes are hundreds, maybe even thousands. So there are many choices and I choose this," Jokowi said, just before the flag ceremony. However, if examined in more depth, the traditional Acehnese clothing called Linto Baro has its own uniqueness. These clothes are usually worn at government events. The upper part of this garment is called meukasah. Meanwhile, the bottom in the form of black trousers is called siluweu.
Meukasah clothes are very fine woven clothes so it is very comfortable when worn. Meukasah is a symbol of the greatness of the people of Aceh who are identical with black. On the collar, usually found embroidery in the form of gold, the same as the typical clothes of Chinese society. This is due to cultural acculturation between the local community and traders and sailors from China who stopped at this Veranda of Mecca. Meanwhile, siluweu pants which are also called ferret short pants are made of cotton. These typical pants come from Malay customs. To further beautify the wearer's appearance, the ferret short pants are also equipped with sarong from songket made from silk which is usually called ija lamgugap, ija krong, or ija sangket. This cloth is worn to the limit of the knee or approximately 10 centimeters above the knee. This outfit also features a head covering called meukeutop. Meukeutop is usually in the form of a long skullcap equipped with a Tangkulok coil. This section reflects the strong influence of Islam in Aceh.
This head cover also has windings made of silk made of gold or brass with an octagonal star shape. Jokowi said, Indonesia consisted of 714 tribes who lived in 43 provinces and 154 cities and districts. Almost every tribe has its own custom clothing. He also just wanted to show how rich Indonesia would be in various cultural customs. And, this Acehnese traditional dress is one part of that wealth.