But whatever the final verdict, even as the one-time strongman weakens physically, he continues to wield influence over those he ruled and the politicians he shared the regional stage with.

As doctors said his health had deteriorated further, with the onset of pneumonia and a life-threatening blood infection, a steady stream of high-profile visitors continued.

Among them was Asean Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan, while former vice-president and Suharto successor B.J. Habibie was reportedly heading home from Germany.

And in a measure of his influence, his well-wishers even included former political enemies, such as legislator A.M. Fatwa, whom Suharto put behind bars for 12 years in the 1980s for political activism.

Mr Fatwa's visit came a day after one of the Mr Suharto's most vocal opponents, parliamentary speaker Amien Rais, called for corruption proceedings to be dropped.

Last week Mr Guruh Sukarnoputra, son of founding president Sukarno, visited Mr Suharto, saying he bore no grudge against the man who ousted his father and kept him under house arrest until his death.

But there have been equally strong demands for the government to pursue his allegedly ill-gotten wealth, with demonstrators outside his hospital here and in Solo, site of the Suharto family mausoleum, demanding action.

'We want Suharto tried - return the money to the people,' a protester was quoted as saying by Detik.com news site.

Similar voices have been making themselves heard in the press.

Wayan from Bali summed up a widespread sentiment, writing to the Jakarta Post to say: 'He never felt any pity for us when he took our money, and he hasn't shown any regret... Go ahead and get our money back.'

But even as the bulk of those writing to the Post - the only major national daily to give readers a forum to air their views on major issues - appeared to want justice, a poll by another national daily found a majority calling for forgiveness.

The Kompas survey found two-thirds agreeing that the government should forgive him. The national papers' leader columns, meanwhile, are overwhelmingly taking a middle path.

While saying justice should have been pursued after Mr Suharto left power in 1998, they also regard the legal pursuit of a gravely ill 86-year-old as distasteful.

The Koran Tempo national daily summed up the mood on Monday, saying such an idea 'is too late and impolite to be discussed'.

The duality of Indonesians' views - on the one hand demanding justice and on the other calling for forgiveness - appears to stem largely from the contrast between what the strongman achieved and the means he used to achieve it.

Many Indonesians believe he took the country from the brink of collapse, creating a thriving economy and maintaining unity and stability.

Among them is 36-year-old businesswoman Augry Monica, who told The Straits Times: 'He is a hero, a firm leader that is needed by a country like Indonesia.'

But for others, the price paid for such advances was just too high.

Lawyer Gunawan Tjahjadi, 52, called Mr Suharto a 'villain', blaming him for political repression, human rights abuses and the extra-judicial deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.

asmarani@sph.com.sg