"Pasca runtuhnya Orde Baru, isu pemekaran wilayah di Indonesia ramai muncul ke permukaan. Maluku Utara muncul sebagai salah satu wilayah yang menuntut otonomi daerah dan terlepas dari provinsi induknya, Maluku. Gagasan ini muncul setelah upaya pengajuan pembentukan Provinsi Maluku Utara pada tahun 1958 tidak mendapat tanggapan dan gagasan ini tenggelam pada masa Orde Baru. Pada masa Presiden Habibie, pemerintah pusat dan daerah sama-sama setuju mengenai pembentukan Provinsi Maluku Utara. Tantangan kemudian muncul antara pemerintah pusat dengan masyartakat dan elite lokal Maluku Utara, di mana pemerintah pusat dinilai lambat dan tidak serius oleh masyarakat dan elite lokal Maluku Utara dalam memroses pengesahan Undang-Undang. Sedangkan pemerintah pusat menilai tindakan masyarakat dan elite lokal Maluku Utara yang melakukan demo sepanjang awal tahun 1999 terlalu berlebihan. Persaingan elite lokal antar dua kesultanan kembali mengemuka yang terwujud dalam perdebatan dalam penentuan ibukota provinsi, serta konflik sosial dan konflik politik yang terjadi setelah Maluku Utara dibentuk. Kehidupan awal Maluku Utara sebagai provinsi baru diwarnai konflik sosial hingga diberlakukannya darurat sipil. Selain itu, pemilihan gubernur pertama menjadi bukti kebangkitan demokrasi lokal yang mengarah pada primordialisme. Pembentukan Provinsi Maluku Utara ini membawa dampak bagi berkembangnya kesejahteraan rakyat di Maluku Utara dengan meningkatnya pertumbuhan ekonomi provinsi. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian sejarah kontemporer yang menggunakan metode wawancara dan penelusuran arsip sezaman. Penelitian ini diharapkan dapat memberikan kontribusi bagi sejarah pembentukan Provinsi Maluku Utara serta sejarah politik lokal di Indonesia.
After the fall of New Order, issues of formation of new provinces in Indonesia emerged. North Maluku appeared as one of regions which claimed for a regional autonomy to be separated from its main province, Maluku. These ideas emerged after efforts in requesting the establishment of the new province on 1958 had not been responded by the central government and so these ideas were concealed in New Order era. In the era of President Habibie 39 s leadership, central and local governments had come to an agreement to establish North Maluku Province. Thus many challenges rose between central government and local society along with its elites who perceived that the central government had been too slow and had not taken the matter seriously in order to legalise the laws of new province establishment. On the other hand, the central goverment perceived the measures taken by the local society and elites by doing demonstrations during first half 1999 to be an exaggeration. Local elite rivalries between the two sultanates reappeared as manifested in the debates in the determination of the provincial capital, as well as the social conflicts and political conflicts that occurred after the North Moluccas were formed. After establishing a new province, the early establishment of North Maluku was marked with social conflicts and this led to civilian emergencies. In addition to that, the first election of governor became a proof of rising local democratization, which directed to primordialism. The establishment of North Maluku brought about impacts in an increase in the society welfare, due to the growth of the province economy. This is a contemporary historical research, which uses methods by interviews and taking notes of historical archives. This research is done in hopes of contributing for historical studies of the establishment of North Maluku Province and the history of local politics in Indonesia."
