Ono Surono and Dedi Mulyadi Confirm No Official Plan to Rename West Java to Tatar Sunda
Deputy Speaker of the West Java Regional House of Representatives (DPRD), Ono Surono, who also represents the Pantura electoral district, has denied the existence of any official proposal from the West Java DPRD or the Provincial Government to change the name of West Java Province to Tatar Sunda, Sunda, or Pasundan. “I reiterate that there is no official proposal, either from the Governor of West Java or from the West Java DPRD regarding this matter,” Ono said in a statement on Wednesday (8/7).
Nevertheless, Ono did not deny that the discourse on the name change originated from a letter submitted by the Community of Assessors for the Renaming of West Java Province on 6 January 2025 to the West Java DPRD Speaker, Buky Wibawa. The proposal was subsequently followed up through a hearing on 22 May 2025. As a result, the DPRD Speaker issued an official memorandum to Commission I to conduct a preliminary study of the aspiration in accordance with applicable mechanisms.
Subsequently, on 14 August 2025, Commission I, together with representatives from the West Java Provincial Government, held another hearing with the proposing community to delve deeper into the material presented. The outcome merely approved the conduct of a study, not the approval of a name change for West Java Province. “Almost the majority of factions in the council only agreed to follow up on the study. So it is not a direct agreement to change the name of West Java Province, but an agreement to conduct a more in-depth and comprehensive study,” he stressed.
According to Ono, if the study is carried out, its discussion must consider various aspects, ranging from juridical, historical, sociological, and cultural to economic impacts. Moreover, West Java is a province with cultural diversity, including Sundanese, Betawi, and Cirebonese communities.
Meanwhile, West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi confirmed that the provincial government will not change the name. According to him, the name change to Tatar Sunda is merely a fabrication. “We emphasise that someone is floating a discourse by creating stories on social media that there will be a name change from West Java to Tatar Sunda. I say the entire series of events is a fabrication by others. The West Java Provincial Government will remain focused on working and will not concern itself with a name change. The name remains West Java,” Dedi said on his Instagram social media page.