Jabotabek a special region?

Jabotabek a special region?

From Suara Karya

Recently, the press had a field day because of Prof. Emil
Salim's idea to unite the regions of Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang
and Bekasi (Jabotabek) into one administration under a governor
at ministerial level. The idea drew a host of pro and con
responses.

One opponent was the Governor of West Java, H.R. Nuriana, who
brought up various reasons. I am certain that there are more
people against the idea, mostly from West Java. They have a
point: If Tangerang, Bogor and Bekasi were to be integrated with
DKI Jakarta, the cultural and traditional characteristics of West
Java (Sunda) would, sooner or later, most likely disappear from
those areas.

This was proven in Jakarta, where the Betawi people and their
culture have become less prominent in the city. Even more tragic
is the fact that their voices have been smothered and that Betawi
in important positions are rare and few. This is looking at it
from a cultural aspect. We have not arrived at the possibility
yet that the Jabotabek governor (if there really is going to be
one) would hail from an area outside the Sunda districts. Then it
would be a certainty that the aspirations of the Sunda people
would be obliterated from Tangerang, Bogor and Bekasi.

In other words, what happened to the Betawi people would also
happen to the Sundanese from the above three areas.

Based on these reasons, I appeal to the prominent figures of
West Java to reject Emil Salim's idea.

TB SUTISNAWINATA

Tangerang, West Java