JAKARTA : Indonesia's former president Suharto was taken to hospital Friday and admitted overnight for checks after an illness lasting several days, his doctors said.

The 86-year-old recluse, who has been in and out of hospital for various health problems including a stroke and stomach ailments in recent years, was taken to Pertamina hospital in the capital Jakarta.

"Five days ago he felt weak. A medical check found... low blood pressure and water retention all over his body," one of his doctors, Sanjoto, told reporters.

"Doctors would be able to handle the situation at home, but hospital care is needed with further check-ups to be thorough," he said.

Hospital director and doctor Djoko Rahardjo told reporters that the ex-strongman was "conscious and stable," adding that more tests would take place on Saturday.

Suharto's lawyer, Mohammad Assegaf, told AFP earlier that Suharto's family had told him "it was nothing serious."

Suharto, who stepped down from his 32-year rule amid mass protests in 1998, has been accused of being one of the 20th century's worst kleptocrats by amassing billions of dollars for himself, his family and cronies while in power.

He has, however, never been tried criminally for corruption here on health grounds. But a civil suit is ongoing in which the government is seeking 1.4 billion dollars from Suharto in misused assets and damages from when he chaired a charitable foundation.

Suharto's last trip to hospital for serious reasons was in May 2006, when he was rushed in for treatment following a bout of intestinal bleeding and spent almost a month there.

- AFP /ls