Indonesia's big rematch

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
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 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 Mr Atta. PHOTO: TWITTER
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

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.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on March 17, 2019, with the headline Jokowi's running mate Ma'ruf Amin 'good for Indonesia'. Subscribe