TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Vice presidential hopeful Ma'ruf Amin claimed several ulemas backing Prabowo - Sandiaga pair changed their support for Joko Widodo or Jokowi in the 2019 presidential election.

Ma'ruf said during the first two months of the campaign period, he intensively formed communication with numbers of Islamic scholars, especially in East Java, West Java, and Banten.

"In East Java, the kiai [locally known for ulema] who used to support Prabowo now support us. For example, KH Abdul Ghofur at Sunan Drajat Islamic Boarding School in Lamongan," said Ma’ruf Amin during a Tempo exclusive interview at his residence Friday last week.

Other than Ghofur, the candidate number 01 also claimed to have received support from KH Ahmad Nawawi Abdul Jalil from Sidogiri Islamic Boarding School, Pasuruan and Syekh Achmad Muzakki Syah from Al-Qodiri Islamic Boarding School in Jember.

"I have my own strategy in Madura since there has strong ethnic fanaticism," said Ma'ruf, "I'm a descendant of Madura too. Now, there are changes that our electability rate is higher there." In the 2014 presidential election, Jokowi was defeated by Prabowo in four districts of Madura.

Ma'ruf further claimed that many scholars in West Java supported him because he considered himself as a representation of Putra Pasundan (Son of Pasundan). "In West Java, I am a Sundanese figure because I have lineages from Maulana Syarif Hidayatullah (Sunan Gunung Jati), Prabu Siliwangi, and Sumedang King," Ma'ruf added.

Likewise in Banten, despite various surveys showed low electability rate of Jokowi compared to Prabowo-Sandiaga’s, Ma'ruf Amin is optimistic that we will gain huge support until next April. "Especially in Banten. I was born in Banten," he concluded.