Governor Surjadi tougher on foreign names
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)