The transfer of the capital city of the Republic of Indonesia seems to change from discourse to reality. President Joko Widodo decided to move the capital outside Java. This was decided by Jokowi in a limited meeting related to the transfer of the capital in the president's office, the Presidential Palace complex, Jakarta, Monday, April 29, 2019, yesterday.
Jakarta is indeed increasingly not feasible anymore as the main gate or 'living room' of this country's government. As a country that is increasingly taken into account in the world arena it is inevitable that it has a more friendly capital city in many ways. A comfortable, safe and geographically strategic environment is a need that cannot be underestimated, if we want to be seen as a civilized and dignified nation.
The chaotic, congested, flooded Jakarta is part of the reason for this move. The arrangement to improve the capital city has actually begun in the era of governor Joko Widodo and Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, but it did not continue when Basuki had to fall out in a political battle over DKI-1 seats in his second period. Painfully lost by Anis Baswedan.
But even more painful for this nation is that Anis did not continue the program which had been arranged by the previous governor, but instead destroyed it with new rules that were chaotic. All because prestige doesn't want to use the structuring program that has been implemented by Basuki alias Ahok.
For some Jakarta residents, this transfer may feel bitter and sad. Maybe there is a side of pride that will be lost because it cannot feel being a resident of the capital city. For the observers of history and culture it might be assumed that this would feel forgotten history.
But we must remember that the history of Jakarta or Batavia is actually a bitter history because it was through this city that the country's wealth in that era was transported out by invaders and the VOC. In addition, the arrangement in the ancient era also impressed carelessly. Just to add more skyscrapers that look beautiful and modern but ignore the orderly and consistent layout.
The grandeur of modern buildings is indeed very rapid development but on the other hand, traffic is not organized in an orderly manner, drainage is careless. Green open space as the lungs of the city is less noticed or provided. Many of the village neighborhoods are slum with a population that has overloaded. So as a result Jakarta is becoming a city that is increasingly jammed and always hit by increasingly severe flooding. Economically it must be an extraordinary waste.
As we know, this transfer discourse has actually emerged since 1957 by Bung Karno. At that time President Soekarno had put in place a master plan to move the capital city from Jakarta to Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan.
Palangkaraya is considered strategic because of its location in the middle of Indonesia and the world. This is also in accordance with Bung Karno's idea to implement the commitment to make Indonesia a world maritime axis. In addition, Palangkaraya in its history also includes cities that are relatively not prone to disasters.
For economic actors there is no need to worry too much about this transfer because Jakarta will instead focus on being a business city, like New York, Osaka or Bombay, to name a few. Besides, business infrastructure is precisely what has been organized and prioritized for Jakarta as a business and industrial city.
The people of Jakarta, in particular and the people of Indonesia in general should support the transfer program of the capital city of the Republic of Indonesia. The government and citizens of Central Kalimantan, especially the city of Palangkaraya, seem to need to immediately improve this important and urgent government program.
