Indonesians in S'pore cast their votes over the weekend

Larger turnouts were reported in many countries.

Andrew Koay | April 17, 2019, 02:08 PM

Indonesia is in full-on election mode.

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The third largest democracy is in the midst of voting for a new president on April 17.

However, before the actual polling day arrived, many Indonesians overseas have already cast their votes.

According to Al Jazeera, an estimated nine million Indonesians live and work overseas -- a figure larger than incumbent president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo’s winning margin at the last elections.

With two million Indonesians overseas registered to vote, many countries reported higher turnouts than the last election cycle, as well as large numbers of eligible Indonesians registering on the day itself.

Indonesians in Singapore vote

CNA reported that on Sunday, April 14, that 38,106 Indonesians in Singapore turned up at the Chatsworth Road embassy to vote -- an increase compared to the 22,266 Indonesians who voted at the last elections.

Another 8,149 votes had been delivered by mail.

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Votes are held in a secure place at the embassy before counting commences on April 17, at the same time as Indonesia.

Jokowi’s predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was Indonesian president from 2004 till 2014, was among the voters in Singapore.

CNA also reported that one voter, Bigman Sirait -- a Christian priest -- arrived at the embassy in an ambulance.

He had wanted to vote despite being in hospital recovering from a recent heart surgery.

Sirait was quoted by CNA as saying: "I may be sick but I will fight the battle. What’s the point of confessing to be an Indonesian if I do nothing today. If I don’t exercise my right to stand to be counted, I’m a coward."

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Hong Kong

In other countries, Indonesians abroad were also out in force to cast their votes.

In Hong Kong, where voting also took place on April 14, the South China Morning Post reported that 54,000 Indonesian voters had confirmed with the consulate general their intention to vote at one of three different polling stations.

Another 20,000 votes were expected to be mailed in.

Indonesian consul general in Hong Kong Tri Tharyat told the SCMP that this year’s election would be the “biggest ever vote for Indonesians in Hong Kong”.

Australia

Indonesians in Australia queued for hours in order to cast their vote on April 13, with the ABC reporting that 15,000 voters turned up at the consulate in the city of Melbourne, Victoria.

One voter named Anggraini Prawira told the ABC that she was surprised to see a larger turnout than at the last election.

Many were students who were voting for the first time.

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Japan

Japan also experienced droves of voters with The Jakarta Post reporting a record turnout in Tokyo on Sunday, April 14.

With 90 percent of registered voters in the Kanto region of Japan showing up to vote, the polling station in Tokyo extended their closing time to accommodate voters who had yet to register.

One first-time voter, Irma, told The Jakarta Post that she had been waiting in line for five hours.

“Many of us have given up and gone home but I will not lose my chance to vote because, like they say, each vote matters,” she said.

In the Kanto region, including the Greater Tokyo Area and seven prefectures, there are 16,799 listed voters, with 80 percent sending their vote in by mail.

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