In essence, the National Capital Bill should elucidate the position and status of East Kalimantan in relation to the new national capitalJakarta (ANTARA) - Development of the new national capital in East Kalimantan should also bolster the development of East Kalimantan's residents, education, and environment, according to rector of Samarinda-based Mulawarman University Masjaya.
"In essence, the National Capital Bill should elucidate the position and status of East Kalimantan in relation to the new national capital," Masjaya noted during a public consultation on the National Capital Bill in Jakarta on Tuesday.
The rector opined that the forest city or tropical city concept could be adopted to develop an environment-friendly green capital city.
He suggested the government to designate plants and trees endemic in East Kalimantan as part of the identity of the new national capital, which would help promote greater cultivation of endemic plants currently under the brink of extinction.
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Masjaya also called on the government to address potential issues arising from the massive-scale land-use shift necessary to pave the way for the construction of the new capital.
"The environmental situation in Kalimantan has been worrisome. If development of the national capital does not properly address and regulate the large-scale land-use shift, I believe the new capital will have a negative effect instead," Masjaya remarked.
The new capital must be a pollution-free and environmentally friendly city, for which the government must ensure that development of the new capital must prioritise sustainability, he stressed.
The utilisation of renewable energy-based power plants for the city's electricity and properly-planned public transportation to reduce private vehicles are some measures that the university rector suggested for the new capital city.
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The new capital city must additionally improve the livelihood of local residents and protect their local wisdom and customs, the academic emphasized.
Regarding higher education institutions, he suggested the central government to empower existing local public and private universities instead of establishing new universities.
"This means the government need not establish branches of the University of Indonesia, Gadjah Mada University, or Bandung Institute of Technology in the new capital. Instead, the government can enhance the status of Mulawarman University and other existing private universities in Kalimantan," Masjaya noted.
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Translator: Astrid FH, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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