Maluku mulling capital city switch, governor says

Maluku Governor Karel Albert Ralahulu said the province was considering switching its capital city to Seram Island, after questioning the suitability of Ambon as the region’s main metropolis.

“The city of Ambon only has 377 square kilometers of land area, occupied by around 500,000 people. It is no longer able to support various activities and is even experiencing traffic jams along several main roads, all of which is disruptive for the people,” he said Wednesday, as quoted by kompas.com

He said the provincial administration was working on an alternative program to the one already drawn up, in case the capital city did move to Seram Island.

“The study being carried out is for a program for the next 25 years, which will prepare pieces of land to support the growth and development of various facilities and infrastructure on Seram Island,” he said.

Given that his tenure ends in 2013, Karel said it was essential that the next administration realized the urgency of the move and showed full commitment to the program.

“The reality is that the city of Ambon is overcrowded with people and their numerous activities, which are causing various social problems that often become politicized,” he said. (awd)