Indonesia's President Joko Widodo takes the stage to speak about the planned new capital Nusantara, as former Temasek CEO Ho Ching (left) applauds, at Ecosperity Week in Singapore on June 7, 2023. - Reuters
SINGAPORE (The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network): President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo drew a chuckle from an audience in Singapore on Wednesday (June 7) when he made a joke about Indonesia's upcoming presidential election in 2024.
Speaking in front of a group of businesspeople gathered at the Ecosperity Week in Singapore, President Jokowi began his speech by welcoming the audience, before posing a mock question about which presidential candidate would win the 2024 presidential election.
"Ladies and gentleman, good morning [...] I'd like to take the opportunity to ask you who will win next year's presidential election [...]. Ah, wrong speech," President Jokowi said with a smile and his hands up to an audible laughter from the audience.
The audience then gave the President a big round of applause for the joke.
President Jokowi kicked off his working visit to Singapore on Wednesday by attending the annual Ecoprosperity sustainability forum, during which he again made a sales pitch for Indonesia’s planned new capital, Nusantara.
Global business leaders, policymakers, investors and civil society groups gather yearly at the three-day event, held by the Temasek Foundation, to seek solutions for net-zero emissions and climate action.
Earlier this month, a group of Singaporean investors and businesspeople visited Nusantara to observe the latest progress on the planned new capital.
During the visit, Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan encouraged Singapore-based investors to invest in infrastructure projects in Nusantara.
