DPR minta pemerintah bantu kembangkan potensi budaya di Malang Raya

Malang, East Java (ANTARA) - Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives has urged the central government to assist efforts to develop the cultural potential in the Malang Raya region of East Java, which has not yet been optimally pursued. “The potential of Malang Raya is considerable, and there are assets that have not been developed yet, so it is hoped the central government will take bolder steps,” said La Tinro La Tunrung, a member of Commission X, in Malang, East Java, on Thursday. He said that cultural potential can add value to a region when conservation efforts are maximised. This presents a challenge for the area due to budgetary constraints. He stated that the central government should help safeguard the cultural heritage that already exists. He acknowledged information about cultural heritage sites that are under threat of demolition. Therefore, collaboration is required to ensure every stage proceeds correctly. “How to keep sites preserved even though they are not yet opened,” he said. In addition, La Tinro noted that the two museums in Malang City, namely the Education Museum and the Mpu Purwa Museum, require greater attention from the local government. “How schoolchildren are directed to visit those museums,” he said. He will raise these conditions with the relevant ministry so they can be acted on promptly. Meanwhile, Malang Deputy Mayor Ali Muthohirin said that regulations concerning cultural heritage preservation have been enshrined in a number of regional regulations and their derivatives, in the form of a mayoral regulation. “Sites managed by the city government are kept and preserved. There are also private sector partners who cooperate and already have licences,” he said. Regarding the Education Museum and the Mpu Purwa Museum, he said they are not only places to house items of historical value but also venues for preservation and education for the public. Nevertheless, he added that the locations of the two museums are still not sufficiently representative. “The Education Museum is in a distant location, and the Mpu Purwa Museum, though in the city centre, is within a residential area,” he said.