JAKARTA — President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) was sworn in as the President of Indonesia for a second term at a ceremony held in the Indonesian Parliament building, which was also attended by foreign leaders, including Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“By Allah, I swear to fulfill the duties of the President of the Republic of Indonesia to the best of my abilities and in all fairness, to abide by the Constitution and to carry out all its laws in a righteous manner as well as to serve the nation,” said Jokowi during his inauguration at 4.04 pm Western Indonesian time (5.04 pm Malaysian time)
Tun Dr Mahathir and his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali were among 17 leaders and heads of state who attended the ceremony.
Others included the Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Jokowi holds the presidency of the third largest democratic country in the world for the second term after winning the 2019 Presidential Election on April 17.
Jokowi and his new running-mate, Vice President Ma’aruf Amin, 76, defeated their rivals, Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno.
Tun Dr Mahathir’s presence at the event was a manifestation of the strong ties shared between both leaders, and the appointment of Jokowi for a second term will bring a new dimension in strengthening the relations between the two countries.
Indonesia was the first ASEAN country Dr Mahathir visited after winning the 2018 Malaysian General Election, while Malaysia was the first country Jokowi visited following his victory in the Presidential Election this year.
— BERNAMA
