Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – Thousands of citizens received gifts and souvenirs after attending President Prabowo Subianto's Eid open house at the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta on Monday, March 31, 2025.
Herman, 38, was among the attendees who received a gift bag. His light blue bag contained a towel, tumbler, and Eid cookies. "I also got an umbrella," he said at the Presidential Palace Complex on Monday.
According to the Presidential Secretariat's Press, Media, and Information Bureau, more than 5,000 gift and souvenir bags were distributed to citizens. The gift bags included food and drink items such as instant noodles, tea bags, milk, and sugar, while the souvenir bags contained an umbrella, towel, tumbler, and Eid cookies.
Despite receiving the gift, Herman admitted that he was disappointed because he couldn't convey his aspirations to the head of state.
During the open house, President Prabowo only greeted and shook hands with the public at the same location, namely at the Presidential Palace Courtyard.
However, the man from Pamanukan, Subang, West Java, hoped to convey his aspirations to President Prabowo to create disability-friendly policies.
"So that people with disabilities can get jobs without discrimination," he said at the Presidential Palace Complex, Central Jakarta, on Monday, March 2045.
Herman became a person with physical disabilities after contracting polio at the age of 7. The disease caused the nerves in his legs to shrink. Nonetheless, Herman did not give up. He claimed he could still do various kinds of work.
The problem, according to Herman, is that society has stereotyped that people with disabilities cannot work. This perception makes Herman upset because it restricts the access of people with disabilities to work.
"I myself am a trader. Because in the real world, people with disabilities seeking jobs are looked down upon," he said.
This stereotype hinders the development of people with disabilities. Therefore, during the open house, Herman was determined to ask Prabowo to facilitate job access for people with disabilities.
He wanted job opportunities for people with disabilities to be non-discriminatory. "Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to convey this," he said.
The same aspiration was expressed by Stella, 57. This North Jakarta resident has a 24-year-old son with autism named Justin. According to Stella, people with autism find it more difficult to get jobs compared to other disabilities.
Therefore, Stella hopes that Prabowo will provide easy job access for all people with disabilities.
"My son also wants to have a job. Because I don't know where to direct him. Autism children, the country rarely pays attention to them. If it were others, maybe they would be paid attention to," she said at the Presidential Palace Courtyard, Central Jakarta, on Monday, March 31, 2025.