Hediati quits sports job

JAKARTA (JP): Siti Hediati Prabowo has resigned as chairwoman of the Indonesian Table Tennis Association, the organization's secretary-general, Johny Woworuntu, said on Tuesday.

Johny told reporters that Hediati, widely known as Titik, sent a resignation letter to National Sports Council chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar on Sept. 2.

The letter reportedly did not elaborate on why she had decided to resign.

"She just said that she came to her decision based on the current situation which she said had made it difficult to carry out her job," Johny said.

In the letter, Johny said Hediati thanked the table tennis community for its support.

Hediati is one of former president Soeharto's three daughters and the wife of former chief of the Armed Forces Staff and Command College Lt. Gen. (ret.) Prabowo Subianto, who was honorably discharged from military service last month due to his alleged role in the abduction of antigovernment activists.

Soeharto, who stepped down in May following a wave of demonstrations and riots, is now under public scrutiny over allegations that he accumulated huge personal wealth during his 32 years in power.

The government has also reviewed business deals with Soeharto's family, including Hediati's brothers and sisters.

Hediati was elected the association's chairwoman to replace the late Ali Said in 1996. Her term was to end in 2000.

Deputy chairman Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, a former Jakarta military commander, will be acting chairman of the body until the next election.

Johny said Hediati's departure would not disrupt the association's programs, which include plans to send a men's team to the Asian Table Tennis Championships in Osaka, Japan, in October. (yan)