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Indonesian President Joko Widodo makes a sunrise inspection of the site of the new capital he wants to build in Penajam Paser Utara on March 15. © Agus Suparto/Indonesian Presidential Palace/Reuters

ABDALLAH NAEM and AISYAH LLEWELLYN, Contributing writers

May 3, 2022 15:14 JST

PENAJAM PASAR UTARA/MEDAN, Indonesia -- In a much-anticipated ceremony in mid-March, Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo along with his cabinet ministers and provincial heads gathered at the Ground Zero site upon which Indonesia's new capital will sit. With great pomp, they took turns dropping soil and water samples from each of Indonesia's 34 provinces into two gold-plated caldrons.