Dede Yusuf: Changing West Java's Name Not Urgent

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission II, Dede Yusuf Macan Effendi, has assessed that changing the name of West Java Province to Tatar Sunda is not an urgent matter at this time. “Sunda should be a more egalitarian region. Moreover, it is close to Jakarta. So, in a historical context as well, I personally think it is not yet necessary. But if it is to be proposed, it must be submitted through legislation,” Dede Yusuf said at the Parliament Complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Tuesday (7/7/2026). The former Deputy Governor of West Java explained that any changes to a region’s name, boundaries, or territorial expansion must receive legislative approval at the central level and be formalised in valid regulations. He stressed that the discourse is currently limited to a local aspiration. “Whether it is a provincial or regency/city law, it must be decided by the DPR if the name is to be changed. Boundaries, names, and so forth. So, in our view, there is nothing yet; for now, it is just a proposal. I heard the Governor does not agree with it either,” Dede explained. He further reminded the regional government and the public to calculate the sociological impact of a name change based on a single cultural identity. He noted West Java’s history, which once included the Banten region, and past aspirations for regional expansion such as the proposed Province of Cirebon and Province of Bogor Raya. A name that narrows down to one particular ethnicity is feared to potentially trigger jealousy or friction among other cultural communities living in West Java. “So, in our view, the context here is that there is no need at this time to create a new name for the province. Because we already have West Java, Central Java, and East Java. Right? That means, what if Central Java then changes to Solo Province, for example, or something else, we do not know. So, it is better to keep it as it is for now. But that is up to them, that is at the regional level. What is clear is that there has been no input to Commission II,” said the legislator from the Democratic Party faction. Regarding discussions in the West Java Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD), Dede stressed that these cannot yet be categorised as a formal stage for a name change within the constitutional system. He allowed the West Java DPRD to absorb ideas from constituents, but the final decision rests absolutely with the central government and the parliament in Senayan. “No, the DPRD can make a proposal. It is a proposal, but it must then be submitted to the DPR RI. Not yet, not yet. For the stages, it must come in, everything comes in at the DPR RI. Because this is the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia,” Dede concluded.