SINGAPORE: Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have written to Prabowo Subianto to congratulate him on his victory in Indonesia’s presidential election last month, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday (21 March).
The Indonesian defense minister won the election on February 14 with nearly 60 percent of the vote, according to the official KPU tally released on Wednesday evening. His rivals Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo received around 25 percent and 16 percent 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 sincere congratulations on your election as the eighth president of the Republic of Indonesia,” Tharman said in his letter to Prabowo, Wednesday.
The strong mandate you have received shows the confidence and trust of the Indonesian people in your ability to lead Indonesia towards greater progress.
Tharman noted that Singapore and Indonesia have “a strong relationship supported by close 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.
Tharman added that he was pleased to meet Prabowo in Singapore in November 2023 when he was awarded the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang in recognition of his “significant contribution to strengthening the close and long-term defense ties between Indonesia and Singapore”.
He said that Singapore and Indonesia “enjoy good and friendly relations” which Prabowo has “contributed significantly to improving” during his career.
