Sjahril visits ailing father

Sjahril visits ailing father

PADANG, West Sumatra: Sentiment dominated the reunion between
suspended Central Bank governor Sjahril Sabirin and his ailing
91-year-old father at Yarsi Islamic Hospital in Bukittinggi on
Thursday.

Sjahril, a suspect in the high-profile Bank Bali scandal, has
been granted a five-day leave by the Attorney General's Office to
visit his father, Ahmad Sabirin, who has been in hospital for 10
days for a heart condition.

Sjahril, who is being escorted by two officials of the
Attorney General's Office, headed directly to the hospital to see
his father and ask for forgiveness. Ahmad was surrounded by
family members citing passages from the Koran when Sjahril
arrived. When Ahmad saw Sjahril, he was speechless and his eyes
welled up with tears.

Sjahril's younger sister, Gustini Sabirin, told reporters that
Ahmad had been longing to see Sjahril and kept calling his name.

"We're really grateful that uda (older brother) Sjahril can
come to visit and hope that his presence here will help improve
father's condition," she said.

After learning that Sjahril was at the hospital, local
residents went there to meet him in person and shake his hand.
(28/lup)