Indonesian President Joko Widodo enjoys relaxed holiday in Bogor

Indonesian President Joko Widodo spends New Year Eve at the park of Bogor Presidential Palace. PHOTO: TWITTER/PRESIDENT JOKO WIDODO

JAKARTA (THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo had a relaxed New Year's holiday spending the weekend with his family at Bogor Palace.

After visiting a nearby mall to watch a movie and lounging at the palace park wearing a sarong and a white shirt, he also took the time to console a little girl in Tomohon, North Sulawesi, who was upset after failing to meet him while he was there last week.

With the help of his daughter, Kahiyang Ayu, he phoned the little girl, Neisha, who was taped by her parents crying after her parents did not take her to meet the President.

The video was uploaded on her mother's Facebook account and went viral. Kahiyang later made contact with the girl's mother, Nova Rampengan Cono, through her Instagram account.

"Hello Neisha, good evening. Yesterday you were crying?" Jokowi said to the little girl.

"Yes. I wanted to meet...Mr President," she said.

"Please don't cry again and study hard," replied Jokowi.

The conversation between Neisha and Jokowi was uploaded on YouTube by his son Kaesang Pangarep.

Jokowi also uploaded a photo of himself at the palace park on his social media accounts.

"00.00 Year 2017 at home HAPPY NEW YEAR - Jkw," reads the photo's caption.

Last year, Jokowi and First Lady Iriana Widodo spent New Year's Eve in Raja Ampat, Papua.

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