Jakarta as capital city

Jakarta as capital city

From Rakyat Merdeka

The concept of moving Indonesia's capital from Jakarta is based on idealism and reality. The idealism basis starts from the thought that a lot of places with historical value as the centers of royal powers for thousands of years are found in Indonesia, like Kutai in East Kalimantan and Banten in the western part of Java.

Jakarta has no longer been an ideal city for a governmental center because of its traffic density and vulnerability to disturbances. Certain roads in Jakarta are vulnerable to crimes. No wonder a notable businessman like Tong Djoe or a well-known lawyer like OC Kaligis have preferred to use low-class cars like Kijang vans, or even cheaper cars, so as to avoid hoodlums' vandalism actions.

Some owners of luxurious cars have to use the service of their personal guards while passing certain roads in Jakarta. However, the help of personal guards does not guarantee that they will not be disturbed by criminal deeds. It takes only seconds for a street criminal to snatch a side mirror from a luxury car.

Prestigious higher educational institutions like the University of Indonesia and various other notable universities have chosen their locations outside Jakarta.

The question is will Jakarta's function change if Jakarta is no longer the capital of the Republic of Indonesia? There are many other functions of Jakarta, such as an industrial city, a trade city and a service city, which will not necessarily change.

A capital city also functions as a military center, which must not be vulnerable to internal and external disturbances. If it is difficult to reach agreement to move the Indonesian capital from Jakarta, it is necessary to explore the possibility of choosing an area in the Jabotabek (Jakarta-Bogor-Tangerang-Bekasi) region for the location of the governmental center.

HARMANTO

Jakarta