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