New title for Sultan Hamengkubuwono X

PEKANBARU, Riau: Yogyakarta Sultan Hamengkubuwono X has been given the honorary title Sri Amanah Dwi Wangsa from the Riau Malay Indigenous Institution.

Riau Governor Saleh Djasit said on Thursday evening the honorary title was a sign of appreciation for the sultan's efforts to help natives of Riau who reside in Yogyakarta.

"At present there are 5,000 people from Riau who are studying in Yogyakarta," Saleh said.

Some 8,000 other natives of Riau have graduated from schools and universities in Yogyakarta, he added.

Also, Saleh said, the sultan's father, Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX, helped Riau students continue their studies in Yogyakarta when they faced financial difficulties during the government's war against the separatist movement in Sumatra during the 1950s. - JP