I'm healthy and in good condition: Soeharto

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.
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