City launches offensive against foreign names
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)