West Java DPRD Prepares Public Consultation on Proposed 'Tatar Sunda' Province Name

The Chairman of Commission I of the West Java Regional Council (DPRD), Rahmat Hidayat Djati, stated that the council will conduct a public test to follow up on the proposal to change the name to ‘Tatar Sunda Province’, for which they have already given a ‘green light’.

Rahmat made this statement in response to the controversy surrounding the proposed name change, including opposition from cultural groups and residents of the northern coastal (Pantura) areas, such as Cirebon and Indramayu.

Rahmat ensured that the DPRD will not discuss the proposal unilaterally. All elements of society, including groups with differing views, will be involved in the process, from the preparation of the academic paper to public consultations.

According to him, community involvement is a vital component to ensure that the proposal for the provincial name change has a strong academic foundation and public aspiration before a final decision is made.

“Certainly, the DPRD will carry out the refinement of the academic paper, hold public tests across all regencies and cities, and may even conduct a survey alongside the 120 members of the DPRD,” he said on Monday.

Rahmat noted that the discussion process remains lengthy. Following a working meeting between Commission I and the proposing team a short while ago, the DPRD is currently drafting a discussion scheme that will serve as the basis for decision-making by the DPRD leadership.

Furthermore, he added that Commission I of the West Java DPRD will establish a process scheme this Tuesday to serve as consideration for the council leadership.

Previously, concerns were raised by several parties that the proposed name ‘Sunda Province’ might fail to represent the diverse cultural identities existing within West Java.

Responding to this, Rahmat emphasised that there is no region in West Java that falls outside the scope of ‘Tatar Sunda’. He asserted that all areas within West Java are Sundanese territories.

“There are no non-Sunda regions. Everything currently within the scope of West Java Province is Sundanese territory,” said Rahmat.