“We will decide later on what tops we will wear [for the debate], but for me, I will definitely wear a sarong beneath [it],” he said as quoted by kompas.com.

The non-active chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has been frequently wearing a sarong to various events.

Ma’ruf promised last September in front of hundreds of Islamic boarding school students (santri) in Kediri, East Java, that if he should be elected in 2019, he would maintain his penchant for the santri fashion style by regularly wearing sarong.

Santri traditionally wear sarongs to school.

Ma’ruf is running in the 2019 election alongside incumbent President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who is also known for embracing traditional attire. Jokowi has worn the sarong on several occasions, including the New Year’s Eve celebration at Bogor Palace in 2017, stealing the social media spotlight.

Jokowi-Ma'ruf and the opposition Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno camp have both been trying to appeal to Muslim voters, including Muslim youth and santri. The two rival camps have also tried to sell the idea of developing the Muslim economy and for santri to develop their entrepreneurial skills.

However, Putra Nababan of the Jokowi-Ma’ruf campaign team said the team would not put much effort in the duo's appearance, even though some underestimated Ma’ruf’s appeal among younger voters.

Putra argued that younger voters cared primarily about the candidates' ideas and arguments in the debates, not their outfits.

“So, whether the pair wears sneakers or formal clothes or whatever, it will become less relevant as soon as [they] present their debate arguments, because public will immediately shift their focus on what the pair are saying,” he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Ma’ruf, who received special training from the campaign team in polishing his political communication skills, said he was upbeat that he and Jokowi would present their ideas clearly and smoothly during the debates. (ggq/ipa)