Oldest legislator thanks surgeons

JAKARTA (JP): The oldest House of Representatives legislator, Abdul Madjid, disclosed the reason why he was prepared to take the provisional speakership.

His daughter Ratna Riantiarno, a noted stage actress, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that her 82-year-old father called for abrupt eye surgery to cure the cataracts in his right eye prior to his Assembly appointment.

The aggravating eye problem reduced his vision so much that he could not even see or read a few months ago, Ratna said.

"Only two days before the session began, he went to the Jakarta Eye Hospital and pushed his doctors to operate," Ratna said, adding that it was already late when the doctor suggested him to wait until the next morning.

However, the spirited Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's Madjid stepped up pressure on the doctors, who finally gave up, recalled Ratna.

"I was not there when surgery was done, because I believed no doctor would meet his demands. But my younger brother called me early the next morning and told me that my father's sight had amazingly recovered," said Ratna, wife of stage director and chief editor of Matra weekly magazine Nano Riantiarno.

Madjid always keeps eye drops in his pocket now. His eye needs drops every two hours.

A long-standing custom at the House obliges the oldest and youngest members to preside over preliminary sessions before the speaker is elected.

Madjid successfully presided over the session before Akbar Tandjung replaced him. (emf)