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Yudhoyono wants swift action against Regent Aceng

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono demanded on Thursday that swift action be taken against Garut, West Java, Regent Aceng Fikri, saying that the latter’s brief marriage to a teenage girl was indecent and an infringement of women’s rights

Bagus BT Saragih and Arya Dhipa (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta/Garut
Fri, December 7, 2012

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Yudhoyono wants swift action against Regent Aceng

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resident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono demanded on Thursday that swift action be taken against Garut, West Java, Regent Aceng Fikri, saying that the latter’s brief marriage to a teenage girl was indecent and an infringement of women’s rights.

“Don’t take this matter lightly. I want this problem handled swiftly and comprehensively but there is no need to be emotional,” Yudhoyono said in his opening remarks at Thursday’s Cabinet meeting.

The President said that Aceng had committed a serious breach of ethics and norms. Yudhoyono said that he was waiting for Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi to give him the latest update on the government investigation into Aceng.

He said that if any action was to be taken against Aceng, it would be to uphold the rights of women.

“Whatever action is taken, it has to take into account the sense of fairness toward women,” he said.

Aceng recently made headlines after a teenage girl, identified only as FO alleged that the regent had divorced her via text message only four days after they had married. Aceng was reportedly still married to Nurrohimah, with whom he has three children, when he decided to take FO as his new wife.

He then went on national television explaining his reason for the divorce, claiming that the bride had not been a virgin. He also made an ill-advised comment on why he took back his dowry.

“I spent almost Rp 250 million [US$ 26,065] to sleep with her for one night. Even sleeping with a celebrity would not have cost me that much,” he said.

The instant marriage has become the butt of a nationwide joke, with people making fun of his given name, which means “erection” in traditional Javanese slang.

Meanwhile in Garut FO, has made a move that could spare the disgraced regent from a lawsuit. The girl, who recently turned 18, decided to make peace with Aceng after a meeting between him and her family at Al Fadilah 2 Islamic boarding school in Limbangan, Garut, late on Wednesday, said FO’s family member Ayi Rohimat.

“I have called the lawyer [to drop the lawsuit],” she said. “Let bygones be bygones.”

The regent apologized to FO and guaranteed to fulfill the promises he had made to her prior to the wedding, said the facilitator of the meeting, Asep Maher. Aceng had promised to take FO and her family on an umroh (minor haj pilgrimage) before the marriage in addition to enrolling her in a midwifery course.

Previously, FO had filed a report against Aceng with the National Police on Tuesday on multiple charges, including falsifying his marital status, fraud and defamation. The regent had reportedly told FO that he had already divorced Nurrohimah when he proposed to the girl.

In spite of the truce, political factions at the Garut local council said that they would press ahead with their motion against Aceng.

Chairman of the council’s special committee to probe Aceng’s marriage Asep Lesmana said members of the committee were now looking for evidence to support allegations that the regent had breached regulations.

“We have summoned witnesses from the wedding ceremony. We have also sought legal advice and we will summon the regent to hear his side of the story,” Asep said.

Aceng HM Fikri assumed his post as the Garut regent after winning the 2009 local election on an independent ticket.

As part of his efforts to seek re-election, Aceng recently became a member of the Golkar Party. After being granted membership of the party in 2011, Aceng was soon promoted to deputy chairman of Golkar’s West Java branch.

Golkar said that it had dismissed Aceng from the party and would not support his reelection bid.

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