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Goodbye West Java, hello Jakarta: Bekasi, Depok want to merge with the capital
Whether the idea is to become part of a new Greater Bogor province or to merge with Jakarta, the people of Bekasi and Depok seem to be disgruntled with their statuses as "merely" satellite cities.
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Vehicles pass beneath an elevated railway and highway along a section of the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road in Bekasi, West Java, on May 14, 2019. (Antara/Risky Andrianto)
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resident of the satellite city of Bekasi, Randa Gusti says he spends more time in the nation's capital for work and leisure than other areas in West Java – Bekasi's administrative region.
Known as an industrial center, Bekasi is around 25 kilometers from Jakarta and some 130 km from the West Java capital of Bandung.
Randa believes the city has been growing on its own without much help from the provincial administration. So when an idea emerged on establishing a new province called "Greater Bogor", he quickly leapt into the discussion, saying it was better for Bekasi to merge with Jakarta instead.
"It would be easier to integrate public transportation, because many Bekasi people work in Jakarta like me," said the 29-year-old, adding that it was also more reasonable since Bekasi was closer to Jakarta than Bogor.
Wahyu Hadi Chusnanto also said the same about Depok, where he has lived for the last five years after moving from Jakarta. But the 37-year-old private employee has kept his family registered in the capital, where the process was smoother and the district offices were more accessible.
“If I had to pick an option, I’d like Depok to join Jakarta. Jakarta has better administration, better investments and facilities,” said Wahyu.
Bogor Mayor Bima Arya and Bogor Regent Ade Yasin, in response to their people's wishes, have broached the idea of establishing a new province that is separate from West Java, dubbed Greater Bogor. They have suggested that the municipalities and regencies of Bogor, Sukabumi and Bekasi, as well as Cianjur, Depok, Karawang and Subang, could be part of the new province.
