Progress or folly? Jokowi’s vision for Indonesia’s new capital | Infographic News

Medan, Indonesia – When Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo announced a surprise plan to move the country’s capital during his annual address to the nation on 16 August 2019, he outlined a grandiose vision.

“A capital city is not just a symbol of national identity, but also a representation of the progress of the nation,” he said, just one day before Indonesia’s 74th anniversary of Independence. “This is for the realisation of economic equality and justice.”

On Tuesday, Jokowi’s grand plan moved a step closer to reality when parliament approved legislation setting out the legalities of relocating the capital from Jakarta to East Kalimantan, the eastern portion of Borneo, including such issues as funding and governance.

Jakarta, a vast metropolis that has never captured the international imagination like Bangkok or Hanoi, is sinking under the weight of…