City launches offensive against foreign names
JAKARTA (JP): The city administration yesterday started deploying security and order officers to cover billboards, office building names and other signs using foreign names in the city with white cloth.
Hari Sutjipto, an officer of the City Public Order Office said that the 10-day operation is aimed mainly at upholding the city's policy of promoting the proper use of Indonesian language in the city.
The operation will be conducted in areas ranging from Blok M in South Jakarta to Pasar Ikan in West Jakarta.
"During the first five days the operation will concentrate on buildings along Jl. Panglima Polim in South Jakarta and in the Pasar Ikan area of West Jakarta," Hari said.
During the remaining five days the operation will spread to main roads in the city's five mayoralties, such as Jl. Gatot Subroto in Central Jakarta and Jl. S. Parman in West Jakarta.
He explained that since May the city administration has been trying to persuade the owners of office buildings to replace their foreign language names with Indonesian names by Aug. 17.
Hari complained that many building and billboard owners have so far failed to abide by the order. In a bid to speed up the process of changing the foreign names, the city is deploying the security and order officers to force them to use the Indonesian language.
"Originally, there were 539 nameplates and billboards registered as using foreign languages, of which 109 have been dismantled by the owners, 82 have been changed to the Indonesian language and another 61 are covered with clothes," Hari said.
The owners of the remaining 287 are still stubborn and have left the names untouched, he added.
He said the city administration will not tear down the billboards or force the owners to do so. It will only cover them with cloths and ask the owners when they are going to use Indonesian language because the Aug. 16 deadline is approaching.
"We know that it is expensive to finance the change, so we are giving them up to the deadline to replace the foreign names," Hari said.
He warned that the city administration will not hesitate to tear down foreign billboards or other signs or nameplates bearing foreign names if the owners fail to abide by the deadline.
The number of officers deployed in the operation reaches 213 people. They are from the City Public Order Office, the City Revenue Agency, the City Police Force, the City Social Service Office, the City Tourism Office, mayoralty offices and the Indonesian Language Center.
Hari said that representatives from the Indonesian Language Center are needed to give advice to the owners about the proper use of Indonesian words. (yns)