Royal title for Megawati

BENGKULU, Bengkulu: The Bengkulu community plans to award honorary Muko-Muko royal titles to President Megawati Soekarnoputri and her husband Taufik Kiemas during their visit to the province next month.

"The Muko-Muko royal title of Putri Bunga Melur will be awarded to Megawati and Sutan Tuanku Gendamsyah to Taufik," Huzaifah Ismail, chairman of the Bengkulu Community Assembly, said here on Saturday.

Originally Megawati was to be granted the Putri Gading Cempaka title, but Megawati's Aunt Hildawati rejected the title, saying that Megawati preferred the Muko-Muko Kingdom because Megawati's grandfather, Hasan Din, was of Muko-Muko royal descent.

Therefore, customary leaders from North Muko-Muko, North Bengkulu, as the Bengkulu Custom Deliberation Group finally agreed to grant the Muko-Muko royal titles to Megawati and her husband. Putri Bunga Melur was a princess of the Muko-Muko kingdom in Bengkulu. --Antara