Govt plans to rebuild Banda Aceh 'like Putrajaya in Malaysia'
Govt plans to rebuild Banda Aceh 'like Putrajaya in Malaysia'
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
The government is planning to reconstruct Banda Aceh, which was
devastated by the Dec. 26 giant earthquake and tidal waves, into
a modern city resembling Malaysia's Putrajaya, a Cabinet minister
says.
State Secretary Yusril Ihza Mahendra said on Monday that
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered him and Minister
of Public Works Djoko Kirmanto to meet Malaysian Prime Minister
Abdullah Badawi in a bid to learn from the neighboring country
about the construction of Putrajaya.
Susilo acknowledged that Malaysia had successfully built
Putrajasa as a modern city by preserving its combination of
Islamic values and local traditions, Yusril told the press after
a breakfast meeting with the President in Jakarta.
"The city planning (for Banda Aceh) will reflect the special
autonomy status of Aceh, which implements the principles of Islam
and local cultures," Yusril said.
Putrajaya, some 50 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur, serves as the
Malaysian center of administration. Its largely European-
influenced architecture also displays Malay and Islamic elements.
One of the city's striking features is Putra Mosque, which
incorporates Islamic architecture from countries such as
Turkestan, Kazakzstan and Morocco.
Aceh enforced syaria (Islamic law) after it was granted by the
central government special autonomy status, which was apparently
aimed at appeasing separatism in the province.
Yusril said the central government would start the
rehabilitation and reconstruction of Banda Aceh -- the capital of
Aceh province -- after March 26, 2005, when a Special Authority
Board (BOK) is formed.
The President also ordered the National Development Planning
Board (Bappenas), and the offices of the state secretary and the
Cabinet secretary to prepare the establishment of BOK, which
would oversee the overall reconstruction and rehabilitation of
Aceh.
Yusril said the three government institutions are drafting a
presidential decree to establish the special agency in Aceh.
"The President has ordered Bappenas, the state secretary and
the Cabinet secretary to prepare for the establishment of BOK, as
the emergency response in Aceh will end by March 26, and the
agency will be in charge of rehabilitation and reconstruction
after that," he said.
Yusril said the government must consider various aspects
before setting up BOK, so it would not overlap with other
existing institutions such as the National Coordinating Body for
Disaster and Refugee Management (Bakornas PBP) and the provincial
administration in Aceh, which is responsible for the special
autonomy status.
The minister said Vice President Jusuf Kalla has suggested
that the Banda Aceh-based Syah Kuala University and prominent
figures in Aceh be involved in the rehabilitation and
reconstruction efforts.
"We must be very careful," Yusril said, without elaborating.
Yusril asserted that BOK would not take over the duties of the
Aceh provincial administration.
"There will be no overlapping between the authorities of the
Aceh administration and the central government," he added.
The plan to form BOK was approved by President Susilo and
House of Representatives leaders during a meeting a week ago in
Jakarta.
It came after heavy criticism, including from the President,
over the lack of coordination and poor performance of Bakornas,
which is led by the Vice President, in distributing relief aid
for the tsunami victims.
The headquarters of BOK will be in Aceh. It will be led by an
official of the same level as a minister and directly responsible
to the President.