Jakarta. Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said on Friday he is not against the possibility of becoming a running mate for Prabowo Subianto in the 2024 presidential election, repeating their collaboration in the unsuccessful bid three years ago.

Both men are currently in President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo's cabinet with Prabowo serving as the defense minister.

Prabowo was nominated by his Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), which already established a coalition with the National Awakening Party (PKB) to secure a ticket for the presidential race.

“I believe discussion on this matter is the domain of political parties, but if Mr. Prabowo has trust in me again, why not?” Sandiaga was quoted by Kompas news website as saying.

“Mr. Prabowo has proved remarkable achievements and his works as a minister make us proud and respectful of the Indonesian defense capability.” 

Sandiaga, who was attending an event in Yogyakarta, said he had just met with Prabowo at Halim Perdanakusumah Airport in Jakarta and planned to make an appointment for a meeting after the Indo Defense Show that kept Prabowo very busy this week.

“I need to underline that any political move must be coordinated first with Mr. Prabowo as the party leader,” said Sandiaga, also a Gerindra politician.

PKB Chairman Muhaimin Iskandar has publicly said he wanted to become a running mate for Prabowo.

Prabowo and Sandiaga were widely perceived as having promoted identity politics during the 2019 election including by accommodating support from hardline groups such as the now-defunct Islamic Defenders Front (FPI).

“Whatever the public said about Mr. Prabowo and me, we are thankful. We simply didn’t make it at that time,” he said while praising election winner Jokowi for showing great statesmanship.

“Mr. Jokowi has shown true leadership by asking Mr. Prabowo [to join the cabinet] and I also joined with the government later on. It added one or two points to political innovations under [state ideology] Pancasila, in which politics are meant as both competition and collaboration,” Sandiaga said.