October 17, 2018, 12:27 AM 
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is making new friends for Singapore.
On Oct. 16, PM Lee shared a photo of himself meeting with Ma'ruf Amin of Indonesia on Instagram and Facebook.
PM Lee said that they "discussed how our two countries can maintain our strong relations, and work together for mutual benefit".
Who is Ma'ruf Amin?
As PM Lee noted, Ma'ruf happens to be Indonesian President Joko Widodo's running mate and Vice-Presidential candidate for the upcoming 2019 Presidential elections.
President Widodo's current VP, Jusuf Kalla of the "clean air in Singapore" fame, will not be eligible to run for another term as VP.
Although the 75-year-old Ma'ruf is seen more as a religious leader and not a traditional politician, he would be able to bolster Jokowi's credentials as an Islamic leader.
During a discussion at the Yusof Ishak-ISEAS Institute on Oct. 5, an Indonesian guest speaker claimed that Islamic issues would be the single biggest concern for Indonesian voters heading into the election.
Ties with Singapore
PM Lee recently met with President Widodo in Bali, Indonesia, for the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders' Retreat on Oct. 10 and 11.
During the retreat, a number of agreements were signed, including a bilateral investment treaty and a cultural cooperation programme.
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Top image from PM Lee's Instagram page.
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