SINGAPORE: Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have written to Mr Prabowo Subianto to congratulate him on his victory in last month’s Indonesian presidential election, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday (Mar 21).
Mr Prabowo, who is Indonesia’s defence minister, won the Feb 14 contest with nearly 60 per cent of the vote, according to the Indonesian election body’s official tally released on Wednesday night. His rivals Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo received about 25 per cent and 16 per cent respectively.
The official results largely confirmed unofficial results released by independent pollsters last month.
“On behalf of the people of Singapore, I would like to convey my heartfelt congratulations on your election as the eighth president of the Republic of Indonesia,” said Mr Tharman in a letter to Mr Prabowo on Wednesday.
“The strong mandate you received demonstrates the confidence and trust that the Indonesian people have in your ability to lead Indonesia towards greater progress.”
Mr Tharman noted that Singapore and Indonesia have a “robust relationship underpinned by abiding ties of kinship and friendship”.
“I am confident that under your leadership, Indonesia and Singapore will continue to be close friends and partners, as we work together to strengthen bilateral relations for the benefit of our people,” he said.
Mr Tharman added that he was happy to have met Mr Prabowo in Singapore in November 2023 when he was conferred the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Distinguished Service Order) in recognition of his “significant contributions towards strengthening the close and long-standing defence relations between Indonesia and Singapore”.
Source: CNA
