PKB calls for probe into affair slander
PKB calls for probe into affair slander
JAKARTA (JP): The National Awakening Party (PKB) urged on
Wednesday a police investigation over parties spreading
defamation against President Abdurrahman Wahid who was alleged to
have had an extramarital affair in the past.
"We support a police investigation against parties spreading
slander against the President," PKB's faction secretary at the
House of Representatives Abdul Khaliq Ahmad said as he read a
party political statement.
Khaliq described the measures taken by certain parties to
undermine the President as vulgar, uncivilized and immoral.
He said these parties, which always seek to highlight the
President's mistakes, continuously spread rumors and manipulate
information against him.
"It's regretful that these parties involve those who are in a
reputed and honorable circle," Khaliq remarked without
elaborating.
Faction chairman Taufikurrahman Saleh added these "honorable
parties" discrediting the President were also pro-status quo
people who have large sums of money.
When pressed whether these people were among those legislators
who continuously try to shake the government, he replied: "It
might be."
Abdurrahman's alleged extramarital affair with a woman named
Aryanti Sitepu had actually already become a hot discussion point
among legislators during the latter half of the People's
Consultative Assembly Annual Session a fortnight ago.
Certain legislators even offered journalists a scoop on the
story of the affair, including a compromising photograph
allegedly taken in 1996 of the woman in a house gown seated on
Abdurrahman's left leg.
Abdurrahman was wearing a t-shirt and shorts in the
photograph.
The President himself has so far refused to comment on the
matter.
The story became public when Gatra and Panji Masyarakat
magazines carried interviews with Aryanti and her former husband
M. Yanur in this week's edition.
The woman claimed to have had a special relationship with
Abdurrahman between 1995 and 1996. Abdurrahman at that time was
still the chairman of the largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul
Ulama.
According to Gatra, Aryanti admitted to receiving compensation
for disclosing the alleged affair.
People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais, who is a
known critic of the President, when asked by reporters on
Wednesday to comment on the alleged affair, merely remarked that
it reminds him of an old song titled "Aryati".
"I just remembered: 'Aryati, you are a rose overseen by the
Moon'," Amien said, singing the opening verse of the melody.
Meanwhile, Abdurrahman's close aide who is also Minister of
Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab gave the view that Aryanti's story
merely humiliated herself.
"I was sorry for that. Tell her that her faith should be
enhanced," Alwi said. (jun/prb)