Manohara Odelia Pinot was only 16 when she married Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra in 2008. She fled from her husband while in Singapore to visit the Sultan of Kelantan at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital.
She then made her way to Jakarta, where she accused Tengku Muhammad Fakhry – the younger brother of Sultan Muhammad V, who recently stepped down as Yang di-Pertuan Agong – of abusing her physically and sexually.
He denied the claims and, in July 2009, sued Manohara and her mother for RM105 million for defamation. In 2010, he was awarded RM6 million in damages by the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
Last year, Manohara was one of many artistes who signed up with Nasdem, a component party of the ruling coalition supporting President Joko Widodo in the upcoming election.
According to Indonesian media, Manohara, who is of mixed parentage, is vying to be the representative for Surabaya and Sidoarjo.
The Singapore Straits Times (ST) reported that Manohara had joined the party in the hope of making a difference in the republic where “concern for animals and the environment is very much lacking”.
In May last year, she uploaded a poster of herself in the party’s uniform with Widodo and Nasdem leader Surya Paloh in the background.
She has also been spotted going to the ground in Surabaya, often wearing the party’s dark blue uniform.
In a recent interview with ST, the activist said she was inspired by the performance of former Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, better known as Ahok, who was jailed for two years for blasphemy.
“I had no interest in politics until Ahok came along. We got an example of how things could be done right,” the daily quoted her as saying.
And while she did not open up about her past links to the Kelantan palace or comment on the Agong’s recent decision to step down, she said that kings were like ordinary people.
“Some are good, some are bad. Just because I had a bad experience with one does not mean all are like that,” ST reported her as saying.