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JAKARTA
POST, 26 Januari 2013
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All of Jakarta is in a state of emergency until Jan. 27
following the massive flooding that has paralyzed the city. Traffic ground to
a standstill in many parts of Jakarta and thousands were displaced as floods
triggered by days of heavy rain inundated much of the capital. Authorities
were seeking to evacuate nearly 100,000 people whose homes had been
submerged.
According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, 27 of the 44 subdistricts in Jakarta were affected by the floods. Along with the massive flooding, the idea of moving the nation’s capital to a new location has been gaining traction over the past few years since Jakarta can now no longer handle being the capital and economic center of Indonesia simultaneously. This year’s flooding disaster is the latest in a regular series of floods in Jakarta, but many feel it is different this time. It is likely that in the past floods in the capital were not so extensively televised and people across the archipelago heard the news only after the event. Many would only have known of the story from various newspapers published the following day instead of watching live streaming TV news. In addition to the traffic congestion, floods should be the other major reason for the government to seriously consider the idea of moving the nation’s capital to a new location. The unbearable agony of Jakarta’s floods makes the idea very realistic. Jakarta is so densely populated and dirty that it no longer can cope as the nation’s capital. With Jakarta being the crowded center of government, commerce and education, the central government and the House of Representatives must seek the best way to avoid flooding and traffic congestion in the city. One might say that what is urgently needed right now is to build many more canals that are crucial to flood prevention. Whether or not the national capital is moved, floods threaten Jakarta annually. During quiet times, the canals could be used as tourist attractions. Rivers have been transformed into tourist attractions in many of the world’s great cities. This canal construction, however, should not stop the central government from putting the idea of moving the capital into practice. Unlimited housing and building construction in Jakarta have greatly contributed to the huge floods. As the center of government, Jakarta is supposed to have adequate green spaces. The capital’s diminishing capacity requires further strategic planning and scheduling to be done outside the city. The problems of Jakarta cannot be solved in a conventional manner. As the capital of the country, Jakarta is supposed to have minimal problems considering its position as the center of government and business. Unintegrated infrastructure and poor spatial planning have turned Jakarta into a very energy-wasteful city. Such a city can certainly not be the center of government. The idea of moving the capital would have several benefits, among which would be better distributed development. The vast circulation of 70 percent of the nation’s money in Jakarta would be more equally distributed across the country. Relocation of the capital might focus on government departments building their headquarters in different regions, for instance, the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry in Bali; Forestry, Energy and Mineral Resources and Environment Ministries in Kalimantan; Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises, and Disadvantaged Regions Ministries in Sulawesi, and many others. Others believe that the new capital should go to a completely new location outside Java. One area in Indonesia suitable for a new government center is Kalimantan, especially Palangkaraya city. Palangkaraya is geographically located in the middle of Indonesia, so it has easy access to various parts of the country. Besides, Palangkaraya is a region with flat terrain, abundant water availability, and has no volcanoes, so it is not prone to disaster. The Governor of Central Kalimantan, Teras Narang, has stated that the local government is ready to provide land if the central government decides to move the seat of government to Palangkaraya. Moreover, the idea of moving the seat of government to the province was proposed by president Sukarno as early 1957. In the United States, Washington D.C. is just the center of government, while business districts are scattered across the states. The CNN Center is located in downtown Atlanta, the New York Times in New York City, Hollywood in Los Angeles, the car industry in Detroit, great universities in Cambridge and Boston, even the gambling center is in Las Vegas. Americans do not necessarily migrate to Washington to enjoy a better standard of living, get the best education, or become successful businesspeople. Some countries have been successful in their attempts to move their old capitals to new places, like Istanbul to Ankara in Turkey, Bonn to Berlin in Germany, Melbourne to Canberra in Australia, Rio de Janeiro to Brasilia in Brazil, or Karachi to Islamabad in Pakistan. Success in capital relocation can happen both in developed and developing countries. Any attempt to relocate the capital, therefore, not only marks a historic landmark but also provides a boost to the region. The relocation of the capital is for the long-term benefit calling for collective sacrifice and greatness of soul. No pain, no gain. ● |
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