A regency, or government district on the island of Java in Indonesia has plans for a bylaw that will outlaw parents from giving their children names that are considered “Western.”
Sumanto, a speaker for the Karanganyar Legislative Council (DPRD) said the bylaw is being drafted and will take some time to be passed, The Jakarta Post reported.
He added that the bylaw’s principal purpose is to protect local cultures that are gradually disappearing in Karanganyar, Central Java. Karanganyar has a population of just over 810,000.
The speaker also said that councilors think that local names must be protected due to the value they hold in the country’s noble history.
However, some citizens oppose the move.
Ahmad Riza Patria, the deputy chair of the house commission on regional affairs and regional autonomy said the bylaw violates the rights of parents, VICE reported.
The proposed bylaw is still in development and appears unlikely to be passed into law.
A similar move was made by the Egyptian government in 2017 to preserve local heritage. The law imposed a fine for violators of between US$55 and US$270, or six months in jail.