Coordinating Minister for Human Development and culture (Coordinating Minister for PMK) Muhadjir Effendy inaugurated the reopening of the National Museum of Indonesia (MNI) to open a new chapter of the museum after the fire that occurred in 2023.
“This inauguration not only marks the beginning of a new chapter of the National Museum of Indonesia in preserving and enriching Indonesia’s cultural heritage, but also confirms the country’s commitment to supporting educational and cultural activities that can be accessed by all levels of society,” said Muhadjir in Jakarta, Thursday night.
He emphasized that the commitment is in line with Law Number 5 of 2017 on the promotion of Culture.
“The law is in line with the mandate of the president of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo to provide a strategic role for national culture in development, while strengthening the management of museums,” he said.
According to him, the reopening of the National Museum of Indonesia brings a new spirit in the protection, development, utilization, and development of national culture.
Meanwhile, Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Mendikbudristek) Nadiem Anwar Makarim said that the Ministry of Education and culture and all parties continue to work together to strive for the renovation and restoration of the National Museum of Indonesia after the fire incident in September 2023.
“The renovation that we do is not only related to the physical of the building, but also the idea of reimagining the life of the Indonesian Heritage Agency,” said Nadiem.
He stressed that reimagination is an important step to ensure that cultural heritage continues to be respected, preserved, and utilized for the welfare of society, and can be enjoyed wisely by future generations in order to strengthen Indonesia’s role at the global level.
“The idea of reimagining is the basis of commitment to realize a more optimal service in the framework of the protection and preservation of museums and cultural heritage managed by the government,” he said.
Nadiem said that the transformative steps taken were updating curatorial and collections to strengthen the narrative of Indonesian cultural heritage, as well as improving the function, aesthetics, security, and comfort of infrastructure.
Then, also by strengthening professionalism and improving the competence of resources to ensure that management runs to high standards.
“Let us continue the steps and efforts of reimagining, to realize a resilient and cultured museum ecosystem,” he said.
On the occasion, the Coordinating Minister also toured the museum to explore a number of new and interactive exhibits, including an immersive room featuring multimedia technology to bring Indonesian history to life, MNI’s future room that discusses the future of cultural preservation at MNI, and paras Nusantara room that celebrates the diversity of Indonesian people.
Then, the repatriation exhibition hall featuring a number of artifacts that have been recently returned to Indonesia, as well as the Iha store that sells souvenirs typical of museums and cultural heritage.
The National Museum of Indonesia will reopen to the public on October 15, 2024 by presenting a series of fun interactive and educational programs.