Gov't Studies Social Conflict Potential in Future Capital City

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government has set a schedule for the groundbreaking of the new capital city construction in 2021. To date, several ministries are still completing a final study before reporting it to President Joko “Jokowi Widodo in June 2019. The location determination will also be announced before this year's end.

Public Works and Housing (PUPR) Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said that the government has many considerations to be accounted for. One of them is related to the social and cultural condition in the new administrative center considering the relocation will be followed by the migration of millions of state apparatus (ASN)

“We have to consider the social condition there. Will they welcome 1.5 million state officials?” said Basuki when met after the limited meeting with National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) head Bambang Brodjonegoro and Agrarian and Spatial Planning Minister Sofyan Djalil in Bappenas building, Wednesday, May 15.

According to Basuki, the social condition of a region must be thoroughly analyzed. “This is a serious matter. Otherwise, it may prompt a conflict,” he said.

The similar concern was earlier conveyed by the House of Representatives (DPR) speaker Bambang Soesatyo. He reminded that the capital city move is not merely aimed to boost the economy of a region and its vicinity areas, but the most important is it will not trigger a conflict between locals and newcomers.

“We have to watch out such social friction. Unlike issues on geology, economy, or construction, a social problem is really fundamental to be looked out,” said Bambang in a written statement, Tuesday, May 7.

Several lecturers at the Engineering Faculty of Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Yogyakarta also suggested that the future capital city should be located in an opened region. Besides, the area should have a heterogeneous population to minimize the potential of cultural and social conflict.

“The population in South Kalimantan and East Kalimantan is more heterogeneous. Both regions are more proper [to be the new capital] seeing from the potential of social, cultural conflict,” said Nizam, the Dean of UGM Engineering Faculty, in Yogyakarta, Wednesday, May 8.

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