Jokowi's son disqualified from elections, draws flak for trip amid unrest

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo's efforts to establish a political dynasty have suffered a blow after his younger son was disqualified from the November regional elections due to his age.

- Agqil Hamzah

At 29, Mr Kaesang Pangarep falls short of the minimum age of 30 required at the time of candidate registration, which takes place between Aug 27 and 29. The setback comes after the political scion drew the ire of Indonesians in the past week.

Public criticism levelled at Mr Kaesang and his wife Erina Gudono saw a surge as the pair travelled to the US on a private jet to visit the University of Pennsylvania, where she will be pursuing a master's degree at the School of Social Policy and Practice on a scholarship, while violent street protests erupted at home.

Social media platforms, particularly Instagram, were flooded with insults aimed at the couple, who had shared short videos and photos of their travels, as users expressed their discontent with the trip.

The private jet also quickly became one of the most discussed topics in the country.

On social media platform X, users pointed out that the aircraft - a Gulfstream G650ER - was owned by Garena, the gaming arm of Singapore-based Sea.