SINGAPORE – President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have sent letters to congratulate Indonesia’s President-elect Prabowo Subianto.
Mr Prabowo won the Feb 14 Indonesian presidential election by a landslide victory, securing nearly 60 per cent of votes after the official count was tallied and announced on March 20.
He is expected to be sworn in as Indonesia’s eighth president on Oct 20.
In a letter from a statement sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 21, President Tharman said that the strong mandate which Mr Prabowo received “demonstrates the confidence and trust that the Indonesian people have in your ability to lead Indonesia towards greater progress”.
Affirming the robust relationship between Singapore and Indonesia, he said: “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.”
President Tharman also recounted his meeting with the then Indonesian Defence Minister in November 2023, when Mr Prabowo was conferred Singapore’s top military award, the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Tentera), or Distinguished Service Order (Military), to recognise his contributions towards the close defence relations between the two countries.
PM Lee said that he valued Mr Prabowo’s goodwill and friendship over the decades of cooperation.
In his letter, PM Lee said: “I treasure our many conversations over the years, and have always appreciated your insights on regional and global developments.
“With your support as the next president of Indonesia, I am confident that we can build on this strong foundation to take bilateral relations forward for the benefit of future generations.”
PM Lee also highlighted various areas of growth where the two nations could pool their collective efforts, particularly in the green and digital economies, healthcare, developing human capital and sustainability, as well as advancing the interests of Asean.
Both President Tharman and PM Lee ended their letters wishing Mr Prabowo good health and success, with both saying they looked forward to their next meetings.
