Indonesian President Joko Widodo, known by the public as Jokowi, paid Rp 11 million out of his own pocket to reclaim a signed, limited-edition set of Metallica’s Master of Puppets album.
The gift was presented by Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen on a state visit in November last year and was initially declared a state asset to avoid conflicts of interest.
A spokesperson from Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said, “This is not about the money paid, but consistent awareness of corruption in even the smallest matter.”
The platinum-certified Master of Puppets album, released in 1986, is condidered as one of Metallica’s masterworks. It also became the first heavy metal album selected for preservation by the U.S. Library of Congress in 2016.
TIME ranked the record number 63 of the 100 greatest albums of all time, writing, “The record reinforced everything good about heavy metal (the velocity of the playing, the emotional release of the vocals) while undermining at least a few of the cliches.”
The Danish Prime Minister’s gift wasn’t the first time visitors have recognised Jokowi’s passion for heavy metal music. In 2013, he received a guitar signed by Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo when the band played a concert in Jakarta.
Source: TIME
Photo courtesy of Media Indonesia