Ayu Setyorini, 20, a resident of Sepaku district in North Penajam Paser, East Kalimantan, takes a photo on Jl. Samboja-Sepaku, Samboja district, Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan, at dusk on Monday (26/8/2019). The location she captures is a hilly forest area between North Penajam Paser and Kutai Kartanegara, which is expected to become the location of the new capital city.
People in Samboja district, Kutai Kartanegara regency, were enthusiastic upon hearing President Joko Widodo’s announcement that the new national capital would be established in Kutai Kartanegara and North Penajam Paser in East Kalimantan. Others, however, were worried that the capital relocation would bring new problems to their town.
On Monday (26/8/2019), 46-year-old Abdul Aziz was sitting on the verandah of his house in Petai hamlet, Sungai Merdeka subdistrict, Samboja district. His wooden house is located beside Jl. Samboja-Sepaku on the border between North Penajam Paser and Kutai Kartanegara, some 45 kilometers from downtown Balikpapan.
Aziz, as he was usually called, had yet to hear President Jokowi’s announcement that the national capital would be relocated to East Kalimantan. There was no electricity at his house, as it was located within a forest area managed by forestry state-owned enterprise PT Inhutani. “If the capital is relocated to somewhere around here, I am glad. The region and the people will see progress,” he said.
He imagined that, if his living place were affected by the establishment of the new capital, he would be relocated to a new home even if he cannot show a land certificate.
Since 2005, Aziz has managed a three-hectare plantation behind his house. There are about 10 houses in the neighborhood. The families that live there come from South Sulawesi, Central Java and South Kalimantan.
Jl. Samboja-Sepaku is located in a forest, with several stalls standing on the roadside near mining and forestry concession areas. Geographically, the forest directly borders the Bukit Soeharto (Soeharto Hill) grand forest park and the Wain River protected forest. The road is asphalted but has holes in many places. The area is hilly.
Generally, Samboja district and its surroundings is heterogeneous. Amborawang Laut subdistrict, for instance, has residents from several different regions. They have always lived side-by-side.
The coastal area in Kutai Kartanegara is located 30 kilometers to the north of downtown Balikpapan.
Untouched
Several kilometers away, Syaifudin, 38, of neighborhood unit (RT) 004 in Amborawang Laut subdistrict, was glad to hear that the national capital would be relocated to East Kalimantan.
The area has yet to be fully developed. Several roads remain without asphalt. Locals independently build roads with rubble and cement that they donate. “If East Kalimantan becomes the new capital, I hope that development will reach our place. That way, locals can get jobs,” he said.
The people in the area are heterogeneous, as well. Syaifudin is from Sinjai, South Sulawesi. His neighbor and close friend Setiadi, 48, is from Central Java. Other residents are from Madura and South Kalimantan. They fish and work on farms, while others work for the mining companies. “Ever since we moved here in 2000, it has always been peaceful. There has been no conflict,” Setiadi said.
Worries
Other than the positive responses, there are also worries about the national capital’s relocation to East Kalimantan. People are worried that the relocation would bring Jakarta’s problems to East Kalimantan.
Ayu Setyorini, 20, is one example. Her house in Sepaku district, North Penajam Paser, directly borders Samboja district in Kutai Kartanegara. She said that she was both glad and worried over the plan to relocate the national capital.
“I am afraid that Jakarta’s problems, like traffic jams and pollution, will be brought here. I read on the news that the development will be environmentally friendly. This needs to be true,” Ayu said.
Other worries include that the capital relocation would take away the sources of living of coastal people who depend on marine and fishery resources in Balikpapan Bay. The People’s Coalition for Justice in the Fishery’s (Kiara) data center said more than 10,000 people catch fish in Balikpapan Bay.
Our threats right now include that Balikpapan Bay is seeing busy traffic with coal barges and it may be the only logistical route to bring in materials for the new capital.
The figure comprises 6,426 fishermen from Kutai Kartanegara regency, 2,984 from North Penajam Paser and 1,253 from Balikpapan.
“Our threats right now include that Balikpapan Bay is seeing busy traffic with coal barges and it may be the only logistical route to bring in materials for the new capital,” Kiara secretary-general Susan Herawati said.
People’s empowerment body chairman Irfan, of Bukit Merdeka subdistrict in Samboja district, said that he hoped the capital relocation would be in line with procedures. He said that he would not want any land transactions that profited only a handful of people.
Since East Kalimantan emerged as frontrunner for the new capital’s location, land prices have skyrocketed in and around Samboja. Not far from SMAN 2 Samboja state high school, about 40 kilometers from Balikpapan, for-sale signs have been put up on land. The land is priced at Rp 1.5 million (US$105.32) per square meter, far exceeding the price just six months before of only Rp 60,000 per square meter.
In Amborawang Laut, land prices have also increased from Rp 100,000 per square meter at most to currently around Rp 200,000 per square meter.
“If we are talking about land, there can be no end to it. In principle, we agree that the new capital will use a green city concept. However, it must not be exploited for business by certain people,” Irfan said.
Previously, Kutai Kartanegara regent Edi Damansyah said that he welcomed the news of the relocation of the capital to his regency. However, he continued, he had yet to receive any instruction on what he should do. He also had yet to be informed on the exact coordinates of the new capital.
Nevertheless, he said that he would instruct all village and district administrations in Kutai Kartanegara to collect the latest population data to prepare several steps moving forward.
“We will make sure that the region remains peaceful. The capital relocation will accelerate development and investment will be coming in. This will lead to people’s welfare,” Edi said.
Is this true? There has been nothing but an announcement. The capital relocation remains a plan. The capital’s full relocation is scheduled for 2024.
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