Nusantara, designated as the new capital’s name, symbolizes Indonesia’s national character as a maritime nation united by seas, Minister of National Development Planning and National Development Planning Agency Head Suharso Monoarfa stated.

“Nusantara is a geographic concept of the country that is made of islands and united by seas,” Monoarfa stated at the meeting session with the parliamentary working committee for the National Capital Bill in the Parliament Complex, Jakarta, on Monday.

The name Nusantara also reflects Indonesia’s diverse culture and ethnicities in various islands united by seas and as a maritime country, he remarked.

“Nusantara is also a concept of unity that embraces diversity. The Nusantara name will epitomize Indonesia’s actual condition,” the minister noted.

Earlier, the House of Representatives’ (DPR RI’s) parliamentary working committee for the National Capital Bill had agreed to designate Nusantara as the name of the new national capital after most parliamentary fractions expressed their agreement to the proposal.

Among the parliamentary fractions, eight caucuses concurred to the motion, while the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) fraction and the Regional Representative Council (DPD RI) urged the motion to be decided later after further deliberations.

“Regarding article 1, paragraph 2 (of the bill) on Nusantara as the name of the new national capital, we have eight fractions that concurred, while the PKS fraction and the DPD RI requested for the government’s further explanation (about the motion),” the working committee deputy chair, Junimart Girsang, stated at the committee meeting session.

As the motion is passed, Girsang clarified that issues regarding article 1, paragraph 2 of the bill had been sorted out, and the government will prepare a written explanation to answer questions requested by the PKS fraction and the DPD RI.

Source: Antara News