Kepulauan Seribu gets deputy regent

JAKARTA: Governor Sutiyoso called upon the newly installed top officials at Kepulauan Seribu (Thousand Islands) on Thursday to get along with the islanders, who are mostly poor.

"I hope that you will feel at home in the new regency and get along with the locals, who mostly live in poverty compared to Jakarta residents," he said.

The governor installed M. Djoko Ramadhan and Fadjar A. Pandjaitan respectively as the deputy regent and secretary for the new Kepulauan Seribu regency.

Sutiyoso urged the new officials to give serious attention to improving infrastructure in the islands, such as education, transportation, housing and clean water.

Djoko Ramadhan is the former secretary of the Central Jakarta Mayoralty, and Fadjar Pandjaitan is the former development assistant in the East Jakarta Mayoralty.

The governor has yet to install the regent as approval from the City Council is required. He has nominated the secretary of the South Jakarta Mayoralty, K. Abdul Kadir, to hold the post.--JP