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I should be considered middle-aged, not old: Ma'ruf
During a campaign stop in Palembang, South Sumatra, on Friday, Ma'ruf squeezed into his packed schedule a meeting with young voters from Islamic boarding schools, where he stated that, using the standards of the World Health Organization, he was still "middle aged".
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Showing Respect: Vice presidential candidate Sandiaga Uno kisses the hand of his opponent Muslim cleric Ma'ruf Amin shortly before the first presidential debate on Jan. 17. (Courtesy of Instagram /Sandiaga Uno)
O
n the campaign trail, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s running mate Ma’ruf Amin has continued to encounter skepticism about his age, with many believing his is too old to run for office and that he will have problems connecting with millennials.
During a campaign stop in Palembang, South Sumatra, on Friday, Ma'ruf squeezed into his packed schedule a meeting with young voters from Islamic boarding schools, where he stated that, using the standards of the World Health Organization, he was still "middle aged".
“I am not old yet, as according to the WHO, old age is from 80 years old to 100. I am still middle-aged as my age is between 60 to 80 years,” said Ma’ruf, who turned 76 on March 11.
Ma'ruf, a former supreme leader of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country’s largest Islamic organization, said that he was still younger than current Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is the world’s oldest elected leader at 93, adding that he was convinced he could pull off an upset like the nonagenarian politician.
“If Mahathir has the courage to become Malaysian premier, why should I be afraid of running as a vice-presidential candidate? I am not yet 80,” he said, adding that: “Hopefully I can help Pak Jokowi continue to develop Indonesia to be more prosperous and peaceful.”
Since his announcement as Jokowi's running mate in August 2018, Ma'ruf has had to counter skepticism from many who believe he is too old to run for public office and that he would have trouble appealing to new voters, especially millennials, who make up nearly half of the electorate.
It did not help that the sarong-wearing cleric contributed little during the first presidential debate in January. However, his performance in the vice presidential debate in early March was much improved, as he spoke about tech "unicorns" and the need to improve the country's vocational training programs.
