Regional Office for Language in East Kalimantan Province conducted a Focus Group Discussion (DKT) of the State Language Clinic (Klisara) for State Capital City (IKN) Nusantara. The discussion was held on Monday, 10 October 2022, from 9.30 to 12.30 pm, at the meeting room of the Regional Office for Language in East Kalimantan Province, on street Batu Cermin 25 Sempaja Utara, Samarinda.
The event chairman, Ali Kusno, reported the discussion was attended by central government delegations. They were the Chairman/member of the House of Representatives Commission X, IKN Nusantara Authority, Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, Secretariat General of the Ministry of Transportation of the Republic of Indonesia, Secretariat General of the Ministry of PUPR RI, Secretariat of the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises of Indonesia, Geospatial Information Agency, as well as member of KKLP for Cultivation and Legal Language, Center for Cultivation of Language and Literature, Agency for Language Development and Cultivation.
Participants from the regional government, such as Commission IV of East Kalimantan Regional Legislative Councils, the Regional Secretariat of East Kalimantan Province, East Kalimantan Province of the Representative of the Indonesian Ombudsman, Mulawarman University, Head/member of regional apparatus organization (OPD) of East Kalimantan Province; Kutai Kartanegara Regency Government, North Penajam Paser (PPU) Regency Government, and Head of Regional Office for Language in East Kalimantan Province (KBKT).
The DKT aimed to obtain suggestions regarding technical guidelines and standard operating procedures for Prioritizing State Language in IKN and its buffer areas. In addition, DKT is expected to yield follow-up recommendations for the related institutions as an effort to prioritize the state language in IKN and its buffer areas.
Head of Center for Cultivation of Language and Literature, Agency for Language Development and Cultivation Muh. Abdul Khak, in his remarks, revealed that DKT is expected to be able to realize the pride of the Indonesian language at IKN. Halimi Hadibrata, Head of the Regional Office for Language in East Kalimantan Province, explained the draft of technical guidelines and standard operating procedures that consist of planning, monitoring, and controlling the state language at IKN and its buffer areas. Language planning at IKN is considered more effective while it is still in the physical development stage.
In the discussion session, the Chairwoman of the House of Representatives Commission X Hetifah Sjaifudian delivered her appreciation to KBKT for initiating the discussion. She encouraged in formulation of technical guidelines which should be involved other institutions and ministries. Jaziray Hartoyo, Assistant Deputy for Cultural Promotion and Preservation of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, revealed that according to the direction of the Coordinating Minister the preparation of the social infrastructure at IKN is needed. In addition, preparing to prioritize the Indonesian language and preserve regional languages are also needed
The Representative of IKN Authority, Head of Social Coordination and Community Empowerment, Diani Sadiawati, welcomed to KBKT initiative and has ready to coordinate the state language used to plan at IKN. On contrary, she stated that it is necessary to pay attention to local wisdom. The Representative of the Geospatial Information Agency, Aji Putra Perdana, conveyed Geospatial Information Agency is supported and has ready to coordinate to prioritize the state language at IKN.
Furthermore, the Chairman of Commission IV of East Kalimantan Regional Legislative Councils and Council’s legislative body (bapemperda), Rusman Yaqub, said this discussion was the moment to actualize the state language in public spaces and official documents such as letters. It was necessary to improve and harmonize the official document system. East Kalimantan Regional Legislative Councils will accelerate the Regional Regulation on Languages in East Kalimantan as a legal base for prioritizing the state language in East Kalimantan Province. In line with that, Sodikin, Assistant for Administration and Welfare of PPU Regency Government, said the regulations, dissemination, and implementation at the regional level are very much needed.
As a university representative, the Dean of FIB Mulawarman University, Masrur Yahya, welcomed the efforts to prioritize the state language at IKN and asked universities are involved in planning, monitoring, and controlling the use of state language at IKN and East Kalimantan.
Assistant of East Kalimantan of Representative Ombudsman, Agus Ferdinand, stated controlling the language used was very important. Ferdinand said the survey results of public services revealed that the majority of government agencies have already used the state language. Yet, there were still foreign elements in the publication. He proposed that standard terms are socialized so that they can be understood by the public.
In the end, the Head of the Regional Office for Language in East Kalimantan Province thanked all representatives of institutions who gave positive responses and provided support for prioritizing the state language at IKN and buffer areas through the State Language Clinic (Klisara). Further coordination will be carried out on the technical form at the central level regarding the priority of the state language at IKN. In addition, coordination at the regional level in East Kalimantan is related to prioritizing the state language in the buffer areas. The Head of the Center for Language and Literature Cultivation, M. Abdul Khak, expressed his hope and invited the participants to make IKN the best practice in prioritizing the state language. Efforts and synergies between institutions in the DKT Klisara event will be annotated in prioritizing the state language at IKN later on.
Translated by Muhammad Erwin Darma