ID :
11794
Mon, 07/07/2008 - 14:43
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https://oananews.org//node/11794
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LOCATION OF SOUTHWEST MALUKU DISTRICT CAPITAL BEING DEBATED
By Otniel Tamindael
Jakarta, July 7 (ANTARA) - At a plenary meeting on June 24, 2008 the House of Representatives (DPR) officially approved the creation of Southwes Maluku (MBD) district through a split from Southwest Maluku (MTB) district.
In addition to MBD district, the House also approved the formation of 11 other new districts and municipalities in various provinces across the country.
Apart from Roma and Damer islands, the newly-created district of Southwest Maluku is made up of outlying islands in the province, namely the islands of Lirang, Wetar, Kisar, Leti, Moa, Lakor, Sermata, and Masela near the borders with Australia and Timor Leste.
After being approved by the DPR and officially inaugurated by the government, it was expected the new district's existence would prevent its abundant mineral resources such as gold, copper, nickel, iron, uranium and oil from being claimed by the two neighboring countries in the future.
Since the Dutch colonial era, the islands in the province have been known by their collective name as "Pulau-Puulau Selatan Daya" (Zuidwestereilanden).
The House's nod to the formation of the new district of Southwest Maluku drew an immediate and enthusiastic response from the people of the new district but the location of its capital remains under debate, namely between the East Southwest Maluku district administration and the local legislative assembly.
The local people, especially those from Kisar island, expressed hope that Wonreli will be the MBD district's capital but the MTB district administration and local councilors with certain political interest want it to be in Moa island.
Consequently, King John Baker of Kisar called on his people to continue their efforts to get Wonreli named as the new district's capital.
"The people of 'Selatan Daya' should continue to fight for the recognition of Wonreli as the seat of the new district administration," King Baker said.
He said the local people should make every possible effort to support Wonreli's appointment as the capital of Southwest Maluku district because it had potential human resources.
"Although Kisar island has adequate natural resources and human resources, development has so far been ignored by the Maluku provincial administration," Baker said, adding that the time wa ripe for Wonreli to be the new district's capital.
He also called on Selatan Daya people living in other cities and regions to jointly support the efforts to develop Wonreli as the capital of Southeast Maluku district which has so far been isolated.
King Baker's statement was based on a previous agreement that Wonreli would be the capital after Southwest Maluku had gained the administrative status as a district.
However, several days after the House approved the creation of MBD district, East Southwest Maluku (MTB) vice district head Barnabas Orno said in the Maluku provincial city of Ambon on Friday, June 27, 2008 that the development in Moa island as the MBD district capital would start soon.
"There is no need for us to engage in polemics about the capital of Southwest Maluku district because Moa Island is slated to be the center of the new district's administration," Barnabas Orno said.
On the occasion, Barnabas Orno said the MTB district administration had allocated some Rp15 billion to support infrastructure development in Moa island.
The MTB vice district head added the Rp15 billion would be spent on construction of the MBD district chief's office, regional legislative assembly office, and other infrastructure facilities in Moa Island which , he said, would be the location of the new district's capital.
But according to the chairman of the MBD district formation team, Oyang Orlando Petrus, the cost of building infrastructure facilities in the new district was estimated to reach hundreds of billions of rupiah.
Orlando said hundreds of billions or even trillions of rupiah in funds would be needed to develop the infrastructure in MBD district which had so far been one of Maluku province's least-developed regions.
He said Rp15 billion was far from sufficient to develop Moa as MBD district's capital because the island was sparsely populated and its infrastructure facilities were inadequate so that everything had to be built from the very beginning.
In addition, he said part of Moa island was still covered by jungle.
"Moa Island has no roads, no airport, no seaport, no electricity, no drinking water facility and is still covered with jungle. Therefore infrastructure development there will need hundreds of billions, even trillions of rupiah in funding," Orlando said.
Commenting on Barnabas Orno's statement that Moa was slated to be the capital of MBD district, Orlando said it contradicted the results of a study which was conducted in 2004 in Wonreli, Kisar, by a team from Ambon's Pattimura University (Unpatti).
Orlando said that according to Unpatti team's study, Wonreli town in Kisar was well-suited to be the capital of the new district because of its adequate infrastructure facilities such as airport, seaports, roads, and electricity.
According to Orlando, after the result of the Unpati team's study was followed up by East Southwest Maluku district administration and Maluku provincial administration, the regional legislative assembly issued decree No 4/2004 stating that Wonreli would later be the capital of MBD.
But then for some unclear reason, a certain MTB district official urged and influenced the local legislative assembly to revise the decree and remove the location of MBD capital in Wonreli to Moa island.
"It's really a big lie. The big question is why the East Southwest Maluku (MTB) district administration continues to project Moa as the capital of the newly-formed district while the infrastructure facilities there are inadequate?", Orlando asked.
However, MTB vice district head Barnabas Orno also admitted that Southwest Maluku was strategically located and could be rapidly developed for the local people's welfare.
"We are not going to turn a blind eye to the need to develop transportation and communication in MBD with its 12 outlying islands," Barnabas Orno said.
He added the efforts to make Southwest Maluku islands a new district were also to anticipate various kinds of unlawful activity in the region such as illegal logging, illegal fishing, and illegal oil drilling.
Jakarta, July 7 (ANTARA) - At a plenary meeting on June 24, 2008 the House of Representatives (DPR) officially approved the creation of Southwes Maluku (MBD) district through a split from Southwest Maluku (MTB) district.
In addition to MBD district, the House also approved the formation of 11 other new districts and municipalities in various provinces across the country.
Apart from Roma and Damer islands, the newly-created district of Southwest Maluku is made up of outlying islands in the province, namely the islands of Lirang, Wetar, Kisar, Leti, Moa, Lakor, Sermata, and Masela near the borders with Australia and Timor Leste.
After being approved by the DPR and officially inaugurated by the government, it was expected the new district's existence would prevent its abundant mineral resources such as gold, copper, nickel, iron, uranium and oil from being claimed by the two neighboring countries in the future.
Since the Dutch colonial era, the islands in the province have been known by their collective name as "Pulau-Puulau Selatan Daya" (Zuidwestereilanden).
The House's nod to the formation of the new district of Southwest Maluku drew an immediate and enthusiastic response from the people of the new district but the location of its capital remains under debate, namely between the East Southwest Maluku district administration and the local legislative assembly.
The local people, especially those from Kisar island, expressed hope that Wonreli will be the MBD district's capital but the MTB district administration and local councilors with certain political interest want it to be in Moa island.
Consequently, King John Baker of Kisar called on his people to continue their efforts to get Wonreli named as the new district's capital.
"The people of 'Selatan Daya' should continue to fight for the recognition of Wonreli as the seat of the new district administration," King Baker said.
He said the local people should make every possible effort to support Wonreli's appointment as the capital of Southwest Maluku district because it had potential human resources.
"Although Kisar island has adequate natural resources and human resources, development has so far been ignored by the Maluku provincial administration," Baker said, adding that the time wa ripe for Wonreli to be the new district's capital.
He also called on Selatan Daya people living in other cities and regions to jointly support the efforts to develop Wonreli as the capital of Southeast Maluku district which has so far been isolated.
King Baker's statement was based on a previous agreement that Wonreli would be the capital after Southwest Maluku had gained the administrative status as a district.
However, several days after the House approved the creation of MBD district, East Southwest Maluku (MTB) vice district head Barnabas Orno said in the Maluku provincial city of Ambon on Friday, June 27, 2008 that the development in Moa island as the MBD district capital would start soon.
"There is no need for us to engage in polemics about the capital of Southwest Maluku district because Moa Island is slated to be the center of the new district's administration," Barnabas Orno said.
On the occasion, Barnabas Orno said the MTB district administration had allocated some Rp15 billion to support infrastructure development in Moa island.
The MTB vice district head added the Rp15 billion would be spent on construction of the MBD district chief's office, regional legislative assembly office, and other infrastructure facilities in Moa Island which , he said, would be the location of the new district's capital.
But according to the chairman of the MBD district formation team, Oyang Orlando Petrus, the cost of building infrastructure facilities in the new district was estimated to reach hundreds of billions of rupiah.
Orlando said hundreds of billions or even trillions of rupiah in funds would be needed to develop the infrastructure in MBD district which had so far been one of Maluku province's least-developed regions.
He said Rp15 billion was far from sufficient to develop Moa as MBD district's capital because the island was sparsely populated and its infrastructure facilities were inadequate so that everything had to be built from the very beginning.
In addition, he said part of Moa island was still covered by jungle.
"Moa Island has no roads, no airport, no seaport, no electricity, no drinking water facility and is still covered with jungle. Therefore infrastructure development there will need hundreds of billions, even trillions of rupiah in funding," Orlando said.
Commenting on Barnabas Orno's statement that Moa was slated to be the capital of MBD district, Orlando said it contradicted the results of a study which was conducted in 2004 in Wonreli, Kisar, by a team from Ambon's Pattimura University (Unpatti).
Orlando said that according to Unpatti team's study, Wonreli town in Kisar was well-suited to be the capital of the new district because of its adequate infrastructure facilities such as airport, seaports, roads, and electricity.
According to Orlando, after the result of the Unpati team's study was followed up by East Southwest Maluku district administration and Maluku provincial administration, the regional legislative assembly issued decree No 4/2004 stating that Wonreli would later be the capital of MBD.
But then for some unclear reason, a certain MTB district official urged and influenced the local legislative assembly to revise the decree and remove the location of MBD capital in Wonreli to Moa island.
"It's really a big lie. The big question is why the East Southwest Maluku (MTB) district administration continues to project Moa as the capital of the newly-formed district while the infrastructure facilities there are inadequate?", Orlando asked.
However, MTB vice district head Barnabas Orno also admitted that Southwest Maluku was strategically located and could be rapidly developed for the local people's welfare.
"We are not going to turn a blind eye to the need to develop transportation and communication in MBD with its 12 outlying islands," Barnabas Orno said.
He added the efforts to make Southwest Maluku islands a new district were also to anticipate various kinds of unlawful activity in the region such as illegal logging, illegal fishing, and illegal oil drilling.
