Indonesian YouTube stars Atta Halilintar and Aurel Hermansyah tied the knot in an extremely lavish affair recently and the buzz around the event continues to be the talk of the town.

The wedding, which took place on 3 April costed an estimated 100 billion rupiah (US$7 million) or and was attended by the country's president Joko Widodo, the defence minister Prabowo Subianto and a string of other politicians.

Of course, many cried foul over the whole affair, especially since most events in Indonesia have been halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Double standards

According to a report by The Jakarta Post, writer and singer Fiersa Besari was one of the first to speak up about the matter.

"This is a country of paradoxes. Mudik is banned but holiday destinations open together. The roads are closed, but traffic jams are everywhere.

"People aren't allowed to hold wedding parties, but a celebrity's wedding is personally attended by the country's leader. What do I know, I'm just a nobody," tweeted Fiersa.

Mudik is the term used in reference to the exodus to home towns i.e. balik kampung which usually happens before Hari Raya Puasa.

The event was also criticised by public health expert Dr Irma Hidayana.

"We are still in the middle of a public health emergency. There's no urgency in going to the wedding," Dr Irma said.

"His time would've been better spent visiting hospitals to check their readiness, or doing impromptu inspections at the health ministry to ensure that they are ready to distribute the vaccine. There are so many things on his bucket list."

Fair point indeed.

A bid to gain political traction?

A number have claimed that Widodo's attendance at the event was a political move.

The wedding was aired live on a local TV station, and Atta has over 27 million followers on YouTube alone.

Aurel, on the other hand, is the daughter of popular singers Anang Hermansyah and Krisdayanti, who have both joined politics now.

Rubbing shoulders with the couple could translate to increased support from young voters for Widodo.

Haih...

Looks like all this politicking and double standard nonsense happens everywhere, huh?

One set of rules for the elite, another set for the common people.

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