Indonesian government stays mum on Jokowi's health amid growing public concern

The Star

09-07-2025

JAKARTA: Speculation continues to mount over the health of former president Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo as government officials remain tight-lipped and offer little clarity about the medical care typically extended to former heads of state.
Jokowi, who stepped down from office last October, has been notably absent from major public events, including the recent 79th anniversary celebration of the National Police, also known as Bhayangkara Day, attended by President Prabowo Subianto and by other former presidents.
The 64-year-old has instead chosen to spend time in Bali with his wife and grandchildren, as indicated in his social media posts.
Senior politician and close confidant Luhut Pandjaitan visited Jokowi during the trip and shared details of the visit on Instagram, significantly using an old photo rather than a recent one.
Luhut described the hour-long meeting, which included both their wives, as warm, noting that although Jokowi has yet to fully recover, he remains in good spirits and continues to spend quality time with his family.
'They both shared that recent medical examinations showed positive developments in his health. It was a relief to hear this directly,' Luhut wrote in his post last Wednesday.
Before parting ways, Luhut and his wife offered prayers for the former president's speedy recovery. 'May God lift all his illness and restore his strength so he can return to his activities with a full spirit, as usual,' he added.
Public concern over Jokowi's health first emerged in late May after photos showed him with visible swelling and dark spots on his face and neck during a media doorstop outside his private residence in Surakarta, Central Java.
The visible changes to his skin have prompted widespread speculation, with some attributing his skin condition to autoimmune diseases such as vitiligo or psoriasis, while others have floated more severe possibilities like Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS), a rare but serious disorder often caused by allergic reactions.
The lack of transparency around Jokowi's health has fuelled a wave of online speculation, including claims that the former president was rushed to the hospital in critical condition last month.
The rumour gained traction on X, where a widely circulated video showed a crowd gathered outside a building, reportedly a hospital, a claim later denied by his aide, Comr. Syarif Muhammad Fitriansyah.
Syarif dismissed concerns over Jokowi's health, stating that he only suffers from 'a skin allergy' likely caused by the weather during his late April trip to the Vatican, where he attended the late pope Francis' funeral on behalf of President Prabowo.
Under Presidential Regulation No. 18/2018, former presidents and vice presidents, alongside their spouses, are entitled to medical treatment and support from the presidential medical team, with all expenses covered by the state budget through the State Secretariat.
However, it remains unclear whether Jokowi has received such support. State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi and Jokowi's aide Syarif did not comment when asked by The Jakarta Post about any government assistance provided to the former president.
This lack of clarity contrasts with the treatment of previous presidents such as Suharto, Abdurrahman Wahid, B. J. Habibie and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who were assigned official medical teams and provided publicly communicated health updates.
In those cases, the transparency allowed the public to follow their conditions and subsequent recovery. Political analyst Agung Baskoro believes the government's limited involvement is likely due to Jokowi's condition still being considered manageable with private medical care.
'This issue remains within Jokowi's personal domain, and from what I understand, the palace is prepared to provide assistance at any time if the former president requests it. But as long as no such directive is given, he will continue to handle it on his own,' Agung told the Post on Tuesday. - The Jakarta Post/ANN