By Salim Osman, Indonesia Correspondent

JAKARTA: The historic election of the United States' first African-American President has politicians and people from Indonesia to Malaysia, Australia and Singapore wondering whether a minority could rise to their country's top post.
On an Indonesian talk show, former People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) chairman Amien Rais asked: 'Can a Batak become president if he has all the qualities?' Bataks are Christians from North Sumatra.

Separately, while hailing Senator Barack Obama's victory as an inspiration to minority groups, Vice-President Jusuf Kalla, who is from Sulawesi, said that every Indonesian citizen stands a chance of becoming the country's president.

For more The Straits Times stories, click here.