Transmigration

Transmigration

From Neraca

Minister of Transmigration Siswono Yudohusodo has made an
important breakthrough in the transmigration sector. The business
sector welcomes the minister's idea as an excellent policy. He
praised the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra for their
readiness to leave their hometowns and live in other parts of the
country, or even in foreign countries, such as Australia and
other Southeast Asian or Pacific nations. Siswono appeals to the
people of Java, Madura, Bali and Lombok to transmigrate. This is
very important in the effort to reduce the population density of
those four islands.

My question is how about the transmigrants' future welfare.
What can they do in their new settlements? To transmigrate to
Batam is promising. But I doubt the conditions of the other
transmigration sites. Let me give an example. Bontang, a town in
East Kalimantan, is known as an industrial town. But this town
barely grows. On the other hand, it tends to become less hectic.
The officials working in Bontang return to Java after their terms
of office come to an end. Bontang does not seem to appeal to
them.

Self-motivated transmigrants should be encouraged to
transmigrate, but they must be sure that they will land at the
right place.

PONIJO

Jakarta