Newly reelected, President Joko Widodo is now tasked with overseeing Indonesia’s next stage of economic growth. “We are optimistic,” he said in an interview with the Nikkei Asian Review. (Photo by Rie Ishii)

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SHOTARO TANI, Nikkei staff writer

July 3, 2019 13:51 JST

JAKARTA -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo appeared at ease as he rode Jakarta's new MRT alongside the Japanese ambassador on June 25, stopping to pose for selfies with passengers.

Riding the MRT has become a signature publicity stunt for "Jokowi," as Widodo is known in Indonesia. The construction of the city's first public metro system, which opened in March, was the pinnacle of the infrastructure drive that characterized Widodo's first term, and this was the sixth time that the president has ridden it with media in attendance.