Jokowi's running mate Ma'ruf Amin 'good for Indonesia'

Jokowi describes his running mate as a 'complete religious figure, who is wise' and points to his role as former NU chief

Dr Ma'ruf with Muhammad Attamimi "Atta" Halilintar, the first YouTuber in South-east Asia with over 10 million subscribers. The photo of them standing shoulder to shoulder shows a commonality or connection between Dr Ma'ruf and millennial voters like — Dr Ma'ruf Amin speaking at a Muslimah Bersatu Untuk Indonesia (Muslim women united for Indonesia) event in Jakarta on Feb 24. The senior ulama, who is often seen in his trademark sarong and songkok, told The Straits Times during his visit to Singapore last year that his aim was to support President Joko Widodo ahead of the polls.PHOTO: ANTARA

Francis Chan

Global Affairs Correspondent

Published
Mar 17, 2019, 5:00 am SGT

JAKARTA • It was the unlikeliest of pairings.

One, a twenty-something Indonesian social media celebrity who was recently crowned South-east Asia's first YouTuber with more than 10 million subscribers.

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