Proposal to Rename West Java to Sunda Province Gains Momentum, DPRD Process Continues

The proposal to change the name of West Java Province to Sunda Province has received a boost after being discussed in a working meeting of Commission I of the West Java Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD). The meeting was held with the Coordinator and Supporters of the Proposal to Change the Name of West Java Province. The results of the meeting, held on Thursday (2/7/2026), agreed that the aspiration should be continued to the official legislative stage through a mechanism to be determined by the West Java DPRD.

The coordinator of the proposing team, Ganjar Kurnia, stated that the name change proposal is not merely a change of administrative identity, but also an effort to restore the existence of Sunda, which has been considered lost from the administrative map. ‘There are many things. But at the very least, as I said earlier, for me personally, we are at least creating a monument. Because Sunda, the term ’Sunda’, is very large geologically. There is the Sunda Shelf, Greater Sunda, Lesser Sunda, which then, in fact, administratively, has become non-existent. Now the name is only West Java,’ said Ganjar.

According to him, the name Sunda has a much broader meaning than just naming a region. The term is considered to have historical, cultural, and psychological strength that can strengthen the community’s identity. ‘In fact, the term Sunda has sociological strengths, cultural strengths, psychological strengths related to identity, which ultimately can build the economy, build spirit, work ethic, and so on,’ he said.

Ganjar explained that historically, the Tatar Sunda region stretched from Banten to the Cipamali River, which is now the border between West Java and Central Java. However, along with changes in government administration, that identity has gradually faded. ‘But at least in my opinion, for me personally, geographically we no longer exist. Where once Tatar Sunda was so vast? Now there is no longer the term Sunda. There is only what is called West Java,’ said Ganjar. ‘In the past, even Jakarta was administratively part of the Sunda region. Banten was also a Sunda region. And history shows that Tatar Sunda stretched from Banten to Cipamali, part of Central Java. That is completely gone now. For me, that is actually one of the reasons,’ he continued.

Ganjar revealed that the struggle to change the province’s name has been ongoing since 2013. During that period, various concerns have been the main challenge, one of which is the assumption that a name change would trigger demands for regional expansion.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Commission I of the West Java DPRD, Rahmat Hidayat Djati, confirmed that the meeting results agreed that the proposal be processed through the applicable legislative mechanism. ‘Agreed to be continued in the official legislative process regarding the proposal to change the province’s name,’ said Rahmat. Rahmat stated that all factions present at the meeting gave their approval for the public aspiration to be discussed further. ‘So after this third meeting, the proposing team conveyed that this third meeting was attended by complete factions, all of whom approved the aspiration proposal to change the name of West Java to Sunda to be followed up to the next legislative process stage,’ he said.