Traditional Javanese snacks get presidential thumbs up

Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Busan, South Korea

On board the Garuda Indonesia presidential aircraft, tahu Sumedang (fried tofu originally made and sold in Sumedang, West Java) and karak (Javanese traditional rice crackers) are must-have snacks for the country's leader.

The two snacks are President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's favorite munchies, instead of the Western-style snacks normally served by the state airline.

During Thursday's flight aboard the Airbus A330-300 heading to Busan, South Korea, for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit -- for breakfast Susilo opted for steamed rice with spicy meat and teri (small fried fish), instead of hash browns and scrambled eggs.

"Bapak (Susilo) likes tahu Sumedang very much. He is not the kind of person who is very picky about his food. Traditional Javanese cuisine is his favorite," said Linda, a senior Garuda stewardess who was assigned to serve Susilo.

Although the aircraft is well stocked with various types of foodstuffs and snacks, Susilo prefers to eat fruit or drink a glass of juice, and to stay clear of coffee.

The President and First Lady Kristiani Yudhoyono sat in the front section of the aircraft, which is equipped with highly sensitive communications devices operated by military intelligence officers.

This section, furnished with special leather couches, also has seats for the President's assistants and is watched over by a presidential guardsman.

Overall, 16 presidential guardsmen carrying Israeli-made Uzzi submachine guns ensure the safety of the country's leader.

"We are always on high alert even though we are airborne. We have to anticipate every possible threat to the President. The 16 guardsmen are not idle. They are always on the lookout for anything suspicious," explained Col. Agus Sutomo, commander of the Presidential Guard's Group A.

The second section of the aircraft is usually occupied by ministers. But they had flown in advanced to Busan to participate in the APEC ministerial meeting, which concluded on Wednesday.

On this particular flight, this section was filled by the President's special guests, including Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) chairman Mohamad S. Hidayat, businessman Hary Iswanto Tanoesoedibjo, Kompas chief editor Suryopratomo, Bisnis Indonesia chief editor Achmad Jauhar and Republika deputy chief editor Nasihin.

Susilo's private masseur, Lai Teng Piaw, the First Lady's personal beautician Sunarti and Palace photographers Haryono and Muhipah were also accommodated in this part of the plane.

The back rows of the aircraft were occupied by reporters, presidential guardsmen and officials from the State Secretariat. Arms, telecommunications devices and medical equipment are also stored in this part of the plane.

On this particular plane, passengers are allowed to smoke in a small corner at the back of the aircraft near the kitchen.

With a maximum capacity of 250 passengers, the aircraft is regularly used to fly to Hong Kong, Japan and Australia, where smokers are not as pampered as they are in Indonesia.

When carrying the President, the aircraft only carries 170 passengers, served by 18 senior stewardesses.

According to a Garuda official, the State Secretariat leases the aircraft for around US$5,000 per hour. Payment can apparently be made by installment.

"Basically, we don't want to burden the government. For Garuda, serving the President is not a matter of making profit. They are our shareholders and we should facilitate them as best we can," said Garuda President Director Emirsyah Satar.