Gus Dur recovers to Beethoven's symphony
Gus Dur recovers to Beethoven's symphony
JAKARTA (JP): Abdurrahman Wahid regained consciousness for the
first time yesterday since suffering a stroke Monday night and
later showed further improvements as he asked to listen to
classical music by Beethoven.
Arifin Junaidi, the deputy secretary-general of the Nahdlatul
Ulama (NU) Moslem organization, which Abdurrahman chairs, said
his condition was "getting better and better".
"He communicated with his wife by calling out 'mama', although
he was still mumbling when he said the word," Arifin told The
Jakarta Post last night.
Arifin said earlier in the afternoon that Abdurrahman,
commonly referred to as Gus Dur, had asked his family to provide
a portable tape recorder so he could listen to his favorite
classical music, Beethoven.
"That was his first demand and he listened to the music
through the set," Arifin said, adding that Abdurrahman conveyed
messages by writing on a piece of paper.
"Thank God, there have been a lot of improvements," Arifin
said with a sigh of relief.
The chairman of the 30-million-strong NU suffered a stroke
late Monday night and was rushed to Cipto Mangunkusomo Hospital
in Central Jakarta.
On Tuesday he underwent brain surgery to stop internal
bleeding. Concerns were high as he had still not regained
consciousness Tuesday night.
Arifin said Abdurrahman, 57, was conscious early yesterday
morning and alert enough to respond to doctor's questions.
"When asked by doctors whether he felt any pain, he shook his
head," Arifin said, adding that Abdurrahman was also able to lift
his legs.
Arifin quoted doctors as saying that Abdurrahman had showed
extraordinary progress.
An announcement signed by the hospital's spokesman, Dr.
Hermansyur Kartowisastro, confirmed the progress. The
announcement, stuck to the glass door of the intensive care unit,
said Abdurrahman's condition was improving but the aid of a
respirator was still needed.
Abdurrahman, grandson of NU's founding father, Hasyim Azhari,
and son of former NU chairman, Wahid Hasyim, is known as a vocal
government critic and respected political commentator.
The flurry of prominent figures, officials and government
critics coming to visit Abdurrahman at the hospital continued
yesterday, among them former governor of Jakarta Ali Sadikin,
former cabinet minister Emil Salim, Minister of Information R.
Hartono, Army Special Force chief Maj. Gen. Prabowo Subianto,
deputy speaker of the House of Representatives Lt. Gen. Syarwan
Hamid and Minister of Cooperatives and Small Enterprises Subiakto
Tjakrawerdaya.
Ali Sadikin, known for his outward criticism of the
government, was leaving the hospital when he passed Hartono who
had just arrived.
But Hartono apparently did not see Ali Sadikin and jumped in
surprise when he was tapped on the shoulder by the former
governor.
"How are you?" Ali said. A surprise looking Hartono replied
that he was fine.
Also visiting yesterday were social observer Franz Magnis-
Suseno, National Commission on Human Rights member Albert
Hasibuan, Harry Tjan Silalahi from the Centre for Strategic and
International Studies and poet Emha Ainun Nadjib.
In Semarang, Central Java, thousands of NU loyalists held a
prayer for Abdurrahman Tuesday.
The chairman of the NU Central Java branch, Achmad, told the
Post that leaders of NU branches in the region would come to
Jakarta to visit Gus Dur.
Central Java officials of Muhammadiyah and the Indonesian
Council of Ulema appealed to Moslems to pray for Abdurrahman.
(10/har)
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