President: “I Care About Manohara Case”

Presiden RI, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

MANOHARA CASE – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said he always paid attention to the fate of Indonesian citizens, including former model Manohara Odelia Pinot who had a problem with her husband, Prince Tengku Fakhry of Kelantan, Malaysia.

“I am always cautious about family or household affairs. If one marries and meets a problem, it`s not a president`s business to interfere. Because, then one will ask where is freedom, where is democracy. But because this (Manohara`s case) has become a public issue, don`t think that I don`t care,” the president said before leaving Jeju, South Korea, for Jakarta on Tuesday.

After learning about the Manohara case from infotainment, the president said, he ordered the Indonesian ambassador in Malaysia, Dai Bachtiar, to deliver a letter to the Malaysian foreign ministry to express the Indonesian government`s objections and concern about what had happened to Manohara.

“I have asked the foreign minister and the Indonesian ambassador to handle the matter in the best possible way and draw a clear line between familial affairs and human rights where there is room to interfere,” he said.

He said he received a report on Monday about the incident in Singapore in which Manohara managed to escape to Indonesia.

“Because Manohara is an Indonesian citizen, I, as a head of state, have to be concerned. So, indeed at the state and government levels we certainly have an obligation to act,” he said.

Manohara, who married the Klantan Sultan`s son, has in recent days been widely reported in Indonesian media to have been `locked up` by her husband and was not allowed to meet her mother in Indonesia.

Manohara said her escape to Indonesia was thanks to the assistance of the United States Embassy and the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore as well as the Singapore police so that she was able to sneak out from the Royal Hotel, where the Sultan`s family was staying during a visit to Singapore. (antaranews)