Indonesia passes law to relocate capital to remote Borneo

Indonesia's parliament has approved a bill to relocate the nation's capital from Jakarta to Kalimantan on Borneo, House Speaker Puan Maharani said on Tuesday.

 Indonesian Air Force helicopters carrying a big flag fly above high rise buildings during the country's 76th Independence Day celebrations in Jakarta, Indonesia, August 17, 2021. (Photo: Reuters)
Indonesian Air Force helicopters carrying a big flag fly above high rise buildings during the country's 76th Independence Day celebrations in Jakarta, Indonesia, August 17, 2021. (Photo: Reuters)

The new state capital law, which provides a legal framework for President Joko Widodo's ambitious proposal, stipulates how development of the capital will be funded and governed.

Jakarta, the current capital, is now home to 10 million people and is prone to floods, traffic gridlock and faces the risk of earthquakes.

Among other reasons, the East Kalimantan site was selected since it is a well-known part of the archipelago that is least prone to natural disasters.

Reuters