Idham Chalid admitted to hospital

JAKARTA: Former chief of the Supreme Advisory Council and senior Muslim politician Idham Chalid was rushed to Gatot Subroto Army Hospital on Sunday, Antara said.

It quoted one of Idham's children, Syaiful Hadi, as saying that over the past two years, the health of the senior member of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) had been deteriorating. Idham is in the intensive care unit in Kartika Pavilion.

Born in South Kalimantan on Jan. 5, 1921, Idham had a long and illustrious career in various state offices. He was chairman of the NU between 1956 and 1984, minister for people's welfare between 1967 and 1970, acting social services minister in 1970/1971, and was chairman of United Development Party (PPP) for the 1971/1977 period.

Idham is a renowned scholar who speaks English, Dutch, Japanese, Arabic, French and German. He received an honorary doctorate degree in 1959 from the noted Al Azhar University in Cairo. (swe)