Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto with PM Lawrence Wong at the Istana on June 1. PM Wong will be attending Mr Prabowo's inauguration on Oct 20. - PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO FILE
JAKARTA (The Straits Times/ANN): Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will visit Jakarta on Oct 20-21 to attend the inauguration of Indonesia’s new president Prabowo Subianto.
Prabowo, 73, will be sworn in during a ceremony to be held on the morning of Oct 20 at the People’s Consultative Assembly Hall in the Parliament Complex in central Jakarta.
PM Wong will join other invited leaders to personally offer his congratulations to Mr Prabowo, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said on Oct 19.
“As close neighbours, the visit reaffirms the importance of the Singapore-Indonesia relationship and Singapore’s commitment to further strengthen substantive bilateral ties, including in key priority areas discussed at the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat on April 29, 2024,” the PMO statement said.
PM Wong will be accompanied by his wife and officials from the PMO and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Besides Singapore, representatives from other nations look set to attend, including Australia, China, the United States as well as Asean nations. Among the guests will be Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng, and Laos Vice-President Pany Yathotou.
After the ceremony, Prabowo will deliver his inaugural speech. There will also be a state dinner reception at the Presidential Palace in the evening.
Jakarta has been gearing up for the presidential handover in the past week.
Posters and banners have been installed across the city, reading: “Thank you, Jokowi. All the best, Prabowo, Gibran.”
Jokowi is the nickname of outgoing President Joko Widodo, while Gibran refers to his 37-year-old son Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the former mayor of Solo, who will be sworn in as vice-president.
Prabowo, who was previously defence minister, won more than 58 per cent of the votes cast on Feb 14. It was his third bid for the presidency, after running against Mr Widodo in 2014 and 2019.
About 100,000 security personnel have started to be deployed across Jakarta to ensure that the inauguration goes smoothly. They include snipers and members of anti-riot units, said military chief Agus Subiyanto.
State leaders and foreign dignitaries will also have security escorts. “We need to be alert about possible threats before, during and after the inauguration,” said General Agus.
The Indonesian Air Force will also deploy four F-16 jets to guard aircraft carrying foreign dignitaries attending the inauguration, state news agency Antara reported.
Crowds are expected to gather in Jakarta’s streets to welcome Mr Prabowo as the new president and bid farewell to Mr Widodo.
A street event called “The People’s Party” will take place on Oct 20, where some 10 stages will be set up along main roads in Jakarta to host concerts, dances and other performances. - The Straits Times/ANN
