Dharmasraya
When Settlers Prosper

HALF a century ago, towns in West Sumatra's Dharmasraya Regency were linked by rural paths, cutting through forests and shrubberies. Today, smooth asphalt roads connect them with one another.

Socioeconomic development in Suwarna Bhumi Town-once an important 12th-century Malay kingdom-has been rapidly progressing over the last decade. The roads connecting towns and villages were among the first infrastructure projects to be carried out by the Dharmasraya Regency administration after its separation from Sijunjung Regency in 2004. "The government's priority then was the construction of roads," said Sutan Riska Tuanku Kerajaan in an interview last week.

May 10, 2016