Cendana family on the Comeback Trail

TWO Saturdays ago, Siti Hediati Hariyadi stood on a stage in the main hall of the At-Tin Mosque at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, East Jakarta. With a slightly hoarse voice, she opened the 51-year anniversary of the March 11 Letter of Appointment (Supersemar), a historic milestone in her father Suharto's rule, marking the beginning of the New Order

Although the event was titled ‘Joint Zikir (chanting) and Prayer', the eight-minute opening speech was political in content. Titiek-the nickname of Suharto's fourth daughter-talked about the success of her father's 32-year regime, which lasted until May 21, 1998. "It was good during Suharto's era. It was safe, food was easy to find, and it was easy to find work," she said. "There are plenty who miss Suharto and are praying for him."

March 21, 2017