Hasyim Widhiarto, Jakarta – The hard-line Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) says it will support Nachrowi Ramli in his bid to become a candidate for Jakarta governor despite it remaining unknown if the retired Army general will be officially endorsed by the Democratic Party.

"Yes, we have recently decided to give our solid support to him," FBR chairman Lutfi Hakim told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Lutfi said the decision had been made as the FBR considers Nachrowi, who also chairs the Betawi Consultative Forum (Bamus), to be the gubernatorial-hopeful to have the closest "emotional relationship" with the FBR, which currently has 350 branches across Greater Jakarta and is arguably one of the city's biggest organizations. The Jakarta gubernatorial elections will be held in July.

Claiming to have secured endorsement from the Democratic Party's Jakarta chapter, Nachrowi, however, has yet to receive official endorsement from the party's highest executive board, allegedly because of the ongoing internal party strife.