Indonesia's President-elect Joko Widodo looks on after a ceremony inaugurating a new parliament in Jakarta, October 1, 2014. Indonesia inaugurated a new, opposition-dominated parliament on Wednesday, one that is expected to obstruct incoming president Jok
Indonesia's President-elect Joko Widodo looks on after a ceremony inaugurating a new parliament in Jakarta, October 1, 2014. Reuters/Beawiharta
Indonesia's President-elect Joko Widodo looks on after a ceremony inaugurating a new parliament in Jakarta, October 1, 2014. Indonesia inaugurated a new, opposition-dominated parliament on Wednesday, one that is expected to obstruct incoming president Joko Widodo's ambitious reforms for Southeast Asia's biggest economy. REUTERS/Beawiharta (INDONESIA - Tags: POLITICS)

Is it Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott's way of repairing the diplomatic ties between Jakarta and Canberra after the mobile phone scandal that marred the relationship between Indonesia and Australia?

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Mr Abbott is flying to Jakarta to attend the Sunday inauguration rite of new Indonesian President Joko Widodo. Other world leaders who will be in the Indonesian capital for the ceremony include Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, Papuan New Guinea Governor-General Michael Ogjio, Malaysian PM Najib Tun Razak, Thai Deputy PM Tanasak Patumapragorn, Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong and Haitian PM Laurent Lamothe.

Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly spokesman Agus Subagyo disclosed that Mr Abbott and the other world leaders are coming on their own initiatives, which they expressed through their embassies. He confirmed no formal invitations were issued to these VIPs.

Until 2004, foreign leaders traditionally were absent from the inauguration rite for Indonesia's head of state, but former Australian PM John Howard changed that by attending the installation ceremony for PM Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The unexpected appearance of Mr Howard caused a protocol crisis in Jakarta with Japan and South Korea - major trading partners of Indonesia - sending special envoys to the rite held at the Indonesian Parliament.

Mr Howard's successor, Kevin Rudd, followed his footstep and showed up at the inauguration rite for Mr Yudhoyono's second term in 2009.

Besides politicians, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is also in Indonesia to attend the rite. He met with the incoming president on Tuesday when they tackled the creation of more jobs and improving the nation's economy which could be boosted by better Internet connectivity.

The 30-year-old billionaire posted his photo on Facebook showing him on top of the old Borobudur Buddhist temple in central Java.

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