Indonesian man might hold title for world's oldest at 145

Jakarata, Aug 29 An Indonesian man is set to hold the title of world's oldest man at 145 years, authorities here said on Monday.

Living in a village in the Sragen Regency area of Central Java, Sodimejo, also known as Mbah Gotho, shows his identification card that states he was born on December 31, 1870, EFE news reporeted.

The Dutch colonial rulers that Sodimejo would have seen in his youth are long gone, but Sodimejo is still around, and spends his days smoking cigarettes -- one pack per day -- sitting in front of his house, and nights listening to the radio.

Conversation with him is reportedly meagre, as his hearing is mostly gone and people must speak very loud for him to hear, and his frail voice means he can respond using only simple phrases.

His eyesight is similarly weak, and objects must be brought very close to his eyes for him to see them.

As his 46-year-old grandson Suryanto explains, the old man lives with his grandchildren, who provide for his daily needs by bathing and feeding him, though his lack of teeth means his diet is limited to such foods as soft vegetables and rice.

There were no reports yet of the Guinness World Records or other organisations having verified his age.

Suryanto said the old man had thought he would die in 1993, after his last wife died, but 23 years later he is still here, watching the world go by, howsoever faintly.