West Java Name Change Must Follow Constitutional Process, Lawmaker Says

A member of the West Java Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD) has stressed that any proposed name change for the province, or the establishment of new autonomous regions, must strictly adhere to constitutional mechanisms and existing laws. Sidkon Djampi, a member of Commission I, stated that these processes are not instantaneous but involve a long and complex series of bureaucratic and regulatory steps.

Djampi acknowledged that public aspirations, including proposals from Sundanese figures to rename West Java, are part of democratic dynamics and deserve respect. These sentiments often stem from a desire to strengthen regional identity and historical values. However, he insisted that such proposals must follow a bottom-up approach.

According to Djampi, the process must begin with support from local governments and their respective councils, followed by legitimacy from various community elements, including historical and cultural institutions. Once regional consensus is reached, the proposal moves to the provincial level for discussion by a special committee before gaining approval from the provincial government and DPRD. The final stage involves national-level deliberations with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the House of Representatives (DPR RI), and the Regional Representative Council (DPD RI).

He further explained that renaming a province, whether to "Pasundan," "Sunda," or "Priangan," ultimately requires a change in the fundamental law, meaning it must be enacted through a new law or an amendment to an existing one. This legal requirement underscores the complexity and time-consuming nature of such a significant administrative change.