Predicting the fate of Jakarta in the post-capital era

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Jakarta(ANTARA) –
In two months, Jakarta will lose its status as Indonesia’s capital, an honor it has held since Indonesia declared independence on August 17, 1945.

The seat of the Indonesian government was indeed moved from Jakarta to Yogyakarta in the past, but this move was due to the increasingly severe security situation in Jakarta after the arrival of the Allied Forces and the Dutch East Indies Civil Administration (NICA).

At the time, Indonesian leaders viewed the arrival of foreign forces as a threat. In fact, the Allied forces attacked the car of Indonesian Prime Minister Sultan Jalil.

President Sukarno also felt insecure, and the situation at the time forced him to move frequently to avoid Dutch BroadCast Unitedligence agents.

In response, he and Vice President Muhammad Hatta decided to move the capital to Yogyakarta on January 4, 1946. About four years later, Jakarta resumed its status as the capital.

It is worth noting that before independence, the Dutch colonial government had planned to move the capital from Batavia (Jakarta) to Bandung in West Java.

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say that moving the capital is nothing new for Indonesia.

The current government plans to move the capital to Nusantara, East Kalimantan during the commemorations of Indonesia’s 79th Independence Day on August 17 this year.

From DKI to DKJ

Once Nusantara becomes the capital, the existing seat of government will be declared as the Special Region of Jakarta (DKJ).

On March 28, 2024, the House of Representatives plenary session passed Law No. 2 of 2024 on the Jakarta Special Region. President Joko Widodo signed the law on April 25.

With the approval and signing of the DKJ Law, it is only a matter of time before Jakarta officially changes from the Special Capital Region (DKI) to DKJ.

The DKJ Law is expected to not only enable Jakarta to maintain its position as the country’s economic center but also boost its development into a growing global metropolis.

It is worth noting that Article 63 of the law stipulates that the President must issue a subsequent decree to formally transfer the capital to Nusantara. Therefore, Jakarta is still the seat of government for the time being.

The fate of Jakarta

The capital relocation controversy has caused public concern about the fate and future of Jakarta after it loses its status as the capital. Some people worry that Jakarta will lose its appeal as a big city as it loses its status as the capital.

Ridwan Kamil, the mastermind behind Nusantara’s development and former governor of West Java, said the move would not have a direct impact on activities in Jakarta.

“After Nusantara gets the capital status, activities in Jakarta will not change much,” he said.

He assessed that it might take decades for the capital move to have a significant impact on the activities and lives of Jakarta citizens.

The architect then said that the main challenges facing Jakarta in the next five years are related to climate change. In this context, he affirmed that future leaders of Jakarta should invest more efforts to protect the city from the adverse effects of climate change.

Climate change has indeed affected Jakarta’s air quality, as evidenced by the fact that acute respiratory infections account for nearly 60% of disease cases in the city.

Kamil also stressed that Jakarta needs to pay special attention to its liveability, including providing appropriate and sufficient infrastructure and amenities for pedestrians.

Meanwhile, Eastern Regional Planning and Human Settlements Organization (EAROPH) chairman Emil Dardak believes that Jakarta must continue to provide its citizens with affordable housing in the city center in order to maintain its economic strength.

“Affordable housing in the city center can help Jakarta maintain economic activity and make it more efficient,” he said.

He said that due to the lack of such housing in the city center, Jakarta could become a ghost town after dark.

A study conducted by Jakarta’s Public Health Department outlined four measures that Jakarta needs to take to maintain its metropolitan status. First, Jakarta must expand its functions and no longer be just a shopping and office center.

Second, Jakarta must maintain its internal accessibility by making it easy for citizens to get around through proper roads, good urban planning, and a reliable transportation system.

Third, Jakarta needs to maintain economic connectivity with Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi.

Last but not least, despite losing its capital status, Jakarta should still be able to continue as an inhabited city.

Jakarta’s days as the capital are numbered. Some worry that losing its capital status will lead to a drop in its revenue.

However, this issue is not the only challenge facing Jakarta in the near future. The city still has a lot of work to do.

Only by overcoming all the obstacles ahead can Jakarta realize its vision of becoming a global business city.

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