I'm healthy and in good condition: Soeharto
JAKARTA (JP): "I had been advised by doctors to rest, but now I am healthy and in good condition. All I need now is to restore my health," said President Soeharto in a televised broadcast yesterday evening.
Soeharto spoke for over five minutes in the broadcast from his home on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta, prior to a tahlilan religious ceremony to commemorate the death of the late first lady Siti Hartinah Soeharto, who died in April last year.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor with other guests, Soeharto spoke mostly about the religious ceremony to be held.
For the first time since the announcement on Dec. 5 that he had been advised to take a 10-day rest by doctors, the 76-year- old President himself spoke of his condition and respite from state activities.
A planned visit today to the first lady's grave in Surakarta, Central Java, was also canceled.
In a reassuring tone, Soeharto professed yesterday to be regaining his stamina.
"(But even) After becoming totally healthy in these 10-days, I still need to return to my previous condition.
"Hopefully everything will proceed well, because all of this can only be by the grace and blessing of the God Almighty," Soeharto said.
The economy worsened further after the announcement that Soeharto had been advised to rest. The rupiah dipped past the 5,000 mark against the dollar Friday when it was announced that the President had canceled a planned trip to Kuala Lumpur to attend an informal summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Soeharto wore a white kupiah (hat), a white shirt and a sarong at yesterday's tahlilan.
Seen present were his children, close family members and several cabinet ministers such as Minister of Information R. Hartono, State Minister of Investment Sanyoto Sastrowardoyo and State Minister of National Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita who sat next to the President.
Soeharto also explained that his recent umrah pilgrimage with his family to Mecca was to fulfill his late wife's wishes. (10/mds)