Jakarta
A recently issued regulation will allow for the renaming of Indonesian natural landmarks and man-made features in a bid to preserve the nation’s history, traditions and cultural heritage, as well as maintaining sovereignty and territorial integrity. Under Government Regulation (PP) No. 2/2021 on the application of topographic names, the state is now able to coordinate name changes with geographical features such as islands, mountains, seas, rivers and lakes, as well as underwater features and public monuments. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo signed the regulation on Jan. 6. Features under review would be renamed either in the Indonesian language or in an indigenous or foreign language, depending on their historical significance. This task is given to the Geospatial Information Agency (BIG), in coordination with relevant ministries and state agencies. The regulat...