Governor Surjadi tougher on foreign names

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Surjadi Soedirdja is threatening to stop permit processing services by August for office buildings, commercial centers and housing complexes which continue to use foreign names.

The governor said over the weekend that he will ask municipality officials not to process the permits or to clear recommendations for applicants who fail to obey the regulation requiring the use of the Indonesian language.

The municipal administration has set Aug. 17 as the deadline for both businessmen and building owners to replace the foreign names on their billboards, buildings and other business centers with Indonesian language names.

"The municipal administration is determined to make this program succeed. My office will not hesitate to take stern action against those who refuse to abide by the regulation," Surjadi told 250 businessmen at City Hall.

He said that the administration will take four steps in implementing the program: persuasion, prevention, repression and punishment based on the law.

"Don's consider this program as an anti-West movement," he said. He added that the policy is a way of making Indonesians understand and love their own language because currently there is a tendency to prefer to use foreign languages, especially English.

"This can be seen from the many foreign names used on real estate complexes, buildings, amusement center and restaurants. This makes us feel as if we are living in foreign countries," he said.

President Soeharto launched a movement to use the Indonesian language last month in conjunction with the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Indonesia's independence day.

In a bid to promote the program, the municipal administration will make a public presentation on the regulation on the use of proper Indonesian language for businessmen from June 20 to June 22.

The head of the City Social and Political Affairs Office Bagus Haryono said that the main area targeted for the program stretches from Jl. Panglima Polim in South Jakarta to Kota in West Jakarta. There are at least 550 buildings and large billboards using foreign language in the area.

He reiterated that his office will not hesitate to take firm action against those who continue to violate the regulation. (yns)