Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The wife of former Indonesian ambassador to Japan Jusuf Anwar, Siti Lastrijah, died at the age of 68 in Jakarta on Wednesday at 4.40 pm local time, and will be buried at Tanah Kusir public cemetery on Thursday at 10 am.

"My wife eventually died after fighting against cancer in the last 26 years," Jusuf said at the house of mourning at Jalan Bangka, Jakarta, Wednesday night.

Jusuf said everything had been done both in Indonesia and Japan to cure my wife of cancer, but all the doctors said her cancer has become incurable.

"My wife is a firm fighter, she never lost hope nor complained too much, although the cancer had been hurting her," Yusuf said.

Several public figures who had come to the house of mourning at that night included Minister of Culture and Tourism Jero Wacik, Deputy Finance Minister Anny Ratnawati, and chairman of State Audit Board (BPK) Hadi Poernomo.

Jusuf said his wife`s funeral will also be attended by First Lady Ani Yudhoyono.

Jusuf was Indonesian ambassador to Japan from 2005, finance minister in 2004 to 2005 and replaced by Sri Mulyani Indrawati.

Jusuf was also chairman of the Capital Market Supervisory Council (1998-2000) and executive director of the Asian Development Bank in 2000 to 2004. (*)

Editor: Kunto Wibisono
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