Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang
Many Tangerang residents have expressed their support for the new South Tangerang City.
"It is high time that several districts in the southern part of the regency have autonomy," Rita Zahara, a housewife who lives in East Ciputat district, told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
The district is one of six in southern Tangerang regency, which borders with Jakarta, that used to be at odds over the idea to form a new municipality.
But soon after the House of Representatives approved the proposed South Tangerang City and nine other new regions Thursday, the residents' skepticism suddenly turned into support.
Abdul Rohim, Communication Forum of Tangerang Village, is the most vocal critic of the move. Abdul said he first thought the idea was to accommodate the interests of several people wanting to control the vast area, and, therefore, it should have been ignored.
"I didn't think the proposal would reach the House. I was wrong," he said.
Councilors Abdul Muin Basuni of the National Awakening Party (PKB), Haris Sudiono of the Democratic Party, Dicky Syafrudin of the Golkar Party and Basuki Rahardjo of the National Mandate Party (PAN) voiced their support.
Basuki said 17 councilors representing the six districts agreed with the move because South Tangerang had been unfairly treated by the administration.
He argued that the South Tangerang City contributed 40 percent of the regency's Rp 1.3 trillion (US$119 million) annual revenue, but little of the money came back to the area.
Tangerang regent Ismet Iskandar, who attended a thanksgiving ceremony for the new South Tangerang City on Thursday evening, said he had prepared four candidates to be put forward as the municipality's acting mayor.
The officials are regency secretary Nanang Komera, administration assistant Mas Iman Kusnandar, head of the regency development planning body Bunyamin Davnie and head of the regency sanitation and landscape agency Hery Haryanto.
"We will propose the four names," Ismet said. "The Banten provincial administration will decide which of will be appointed with the task."
The ceremony was attended by Presidium for the Formation of South Tangerang City chairman Zarkasih Nur, legislator and resident Jazuli Juwaini, and hundreds of community figures.
The idea to establish the new city first emerged in 1992 and was backed by a group of Ciputat, Pamulang, Serpong and Pondok Aren residents.
In 2000, residents of the newly established Cisauk and Pegedangan districts said they also wanted to become part of the new city, which would have a total population of 1.6 million and Rp 69 billion in potential revenue.
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