Singapore leaders congratulate Jokowi on his re-election

SINGAPORE, May 21 (Bernama) – Singapore leaders today congratulated President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on his re-election as President of Indonesia for a second term.

Singapore President Halimah Yacob said that Jokowi’s convincing victory is a testament to the trust and confidence that the Indonesian people have in his leadership.

“I am certain that you will build on the strong foundations of your first term to create a better future for all Indonesians,” said Halimah in her congratulatory letter which was made available to Bernama.

Halimah said Singapore and Indonesia have excellent relations, built on mutual respect and cooperation.

Meanwhile, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the strong mandate Jokowi received reflects the trust that Indonesians have demonstrated in his continued leadership, and his vision to uplift the lives of all Indonesians.

"During your first term, Singapore-Indonesia relations made significant progress. We cooperated closely in many areas, including trade and investment, the digital economy, skills upgrading, tourism, and defence and security. 

“Our relations are in excellent shape. I look forward to working closely with you to build on what we have achieved and to explore new opportunities for cooperation, for the benefit of our peoples,” said Lee in his congratulatory letter.

Lee is looking forward to seeing Jokowi at the Asean Summit in Bangkok next month.

Jokowi, 57, and his running mate for vice-president, Ma'ruf Amin, 76, obtained 85,607,362 votes, while his challenger, Prabowo Subianto, 67, and his partner for vice-president, Sandiaga Uno, 49, received 68,650,239 votes.

-- BERNAMA