Don't fish in murky waters: Soeharto
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)