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Indonesia's quest for a new capital gains fresh impetus

Flooding, traffic snarls, overpopulation and pollution major reasons to leave Jakarta

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News that Indonesia is looking to relocate its capital city has been received enthusiastically by those hoping their cities will be picked as the new location.

Residents of the Big Durian, Jakarta's nickname, though, hope the government will continue to fix the capital's myriad problems - from flooding, horrific traffic snarls and piles of garbage that clog up rivers to air pollution.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 14, 2019, with the headline Indonesia's quest for a new capital gains fresh impetus. Subscribe