The Palace Doctor

Frits August Kakiailatu is no ordinary doctor. He was the first urologist in the Armed Forces (then ABRI, now TNI) and was a member of the president's team of medical specialists during the governments of Suharto and B.J. Habibie. He treated many ViPs: from President Suharto to Army Chief of Staff Abdul Haris Nasution, and Colonel Abdul Latief, a man accused of playing a key role in the events of 1965. In early January, at his practice at the Navy's Dr. Mintohardjo Hospital, the 77-year-old recounted the events of his very interesting life to Tempo's Nugroho Dewanto and Purwani Diyah Prabandari. Their report below includes information excerpted from Dr. Kakiailatu's book, Pak Harto, Pak Nas, dan Saya.