Don't fish in murky waters: Soeharto

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto, attending his first state function in nearly a fortnight, told people not to fish in murky waters by taking advantage of the currency crisis.

The President said the nation should work shoulder to shoulder to strengthen the country's national resilience.

"In this current difficult situation, there should not be any of us who fish in murky waters," Soeharto said in a speech at the annual graduation ceremony of Indonesia's Military Academy at the Merdeka Palace.

Yesterday's appearance was the first for Soeharto since Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono announced on Dec. 5 that the President should rest for 10 days on doctors' advice.

Dressed in a dark blue suit, a fresh looking Soeharto arrived at the venue two minutes before the ceremony began at 9 a.m.

He was accompanied by Vice President Try Sutrisno and his wife Tuti Sutrisno.

Soeharto, who was promoted to a five-star general in October, inducted 946 graduates of the military academy -- 341 from the Army, 185 from the Navy Academy, 282 from the Police Academy and 138 from the Air Force Academy.

The graduates were accorded the rank of second lieutenant.

The 76-year-old Soeharto read out his three-page speech in his usual slow but deliberate style during the outdoor ceremony.

Soeharto's attendance and his seven minute speech, which he read while standing, was highly anticipated after unfounded rumors last week of the President's ailing health.

"The presence of foreign diplomats at this ceremony was higher than previous years," one palace official remarked.

During the ceremony Soeharto was seated in the front row of the podium with Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Harmoko to his right and Vice President Try Sutrisno to his left.

Armed Forces Commander Gen. Feisal Tanjung and Minister of Defense and Security Edi Sudradjat sat with other government officials on another row.

"As the speaker of MPR, Harmoko is our third most senior official after the President and Vice President," said a palace official of the seating arrangements.

Departing from customary practice, Soeharto did not step down from his podium to present the Adhi Makayasa awards to the best graduates from the four forces.

Instead, Rudy Saladin from the Army, Henry Ballo from the Navy, Yulmaizir from the Air Force and Hendri Fuiser from the Police, walked to the podium on the palace veranda where Soeharto was seated.

After the 35-minute ceremony Soeharto, accompanied by Feisal Tanjung, Try, Moerdiono and Edi Sudradjat, sat and talked with the top four from the graduating class and their parents at an adjacent room.

The other graduates and their parents enjoyed refreshments and took pictures on the palace lawn.

The President left the palace at 10:25 a.m.

Before entering his car to depart, he shook hands with the commander of the Army Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad) Lt. Gen. Soegiono, chief of the Jakarta Regional Military Command Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and commander of the Army's Special Troops Maj. Gen. Prabowo Subianto. Prabowo is Soeharto's second son-in-law.

"As you yourself have witnessed, the President is very fit and not unhealthy as rumored by certain parties," Moerdiono told journalists after the ceremony. (prb)