West Java Council Speaker Clarifies 'Sunda Province' Name Change Is Only Up for Discussion

West Java DPRD Speaker Buky Wibawa has stressed that no approval has been granted regarding the proposal to change the name of West Java Province to Provinsi Sunda. Buky stated that the proposal has only been agreed upon for discussion at the DPRD level. “Many have interpreted this as the DPRD agreeing. In my view, it has not reached that stage yet. The agreement is to discuss it, not to change it. That is where the misunderstanding lies. People think, ‘Oh, the DPRD has agreed to the change,’ hence the uproar,” Buky said, as quoted by detikJabar on Monday (6/7/2026). He noted that the discussion of the proposal is still in its initial phase. He even admitted that he has not yet studied the academic paper prepared by the proposing team. “I have not read the academic paper submitted by the team that initiated this. But personally, I believe that if this is to move towards a name change, the sociological issues must be resolved first,” he said. According to Buky, the sociological aspect poses the greatest challenge should the discourse continue, as West Java is a province inhabited by diverse cultural and ethnic groups. Buky emphasised that the proposal still has a very long way to go. He stated that even if the proposal eventually gains approval at the DPRD and West Java Provincial Government levels, the final decision remains with the central government. “Essentially, from the council’s perspective, the West Java Provincial DPRD has not yet reached the approval stage, but has agreed to discuss it. And the journey is still far. Even if the DPRD agrees and the Governor agrees, there is still a process at the central level. So, it is indeed not that easy,” he asserted.