Dede Yusuf: Changing West Java's Name Not Urgent
The Deputy Chairman of Commission II of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), Dede Yusuf Macan Effendi, believes that changing the name of West Java Province to ‘Tatar Sunda’ is not an urgent task at this time.
“Sunda should be something that represents a more egalitarian region, especially being close to Jakarta. In a historical context, I personally believe it is not yet necessary. However, if it is to be proposed, it must be submitted through legislation,” said Dede Yusuf at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, on Tuesday (7/7/2026).
The former Deputy Governor of West Java explained that any form of change regarding regional names, boundaries, or regional expansion must receive approval from the central legislature and be formalised through valid regulations. He emphasised that, for now, the discourse remains merely a local aspiration developing at the regional level.
“The Law regarding Provinces or Regencies/Cities must be decided by the DPR if names or boundaries are to be changed. Currently, this is still just a proposal. I also heard that the Governor does not agree with it,” Dered explained.
Furthermore, Dede reminded local governments and the public to calculate the sociological impact of a name change based on a single cultural identity. He noted that West Java previously encompassed the Banten region, and there have been ripples of expansion aspirations, such as the discourse regarding a Cirebon Province and a Greater Bogor Province in the past. He expressed concern that naming the region after a specific ethnic group could trigger jealousy or friction among other cultural communities living within West Java.
“In our view, there is no need to create a new name for the province at this time, as we already have West Java, Central Java, and East Java. If we follow this logic, Central Java might change to Solo Province, for example. It is better to remain as we are. However, that is up to the region; what is clear is that no input has been received by Commission II,” said the legislator from the Democratic Party.
Regarding discussions within the West Java Regional House of Representatives (DPRD), Dede asserted that these cannot yet be categorised as a formal stage of name change within the constitutional system. He stated that while the West Java DPRD is free to absorb ideas from constituents, the final decision rests solely under the authority of the central government and the parliament in Senayan.
“The DPRD may certainly make proposals, but those proposals must be submitted to the DPR RI. It is not yet at that stage. All processes must pass through the DPR RI, because this is the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI),” concluded Dede Yusuf.