Home Affairs Deputy Minister Supports Language Museum Construction on Pulau Penyengat

Deputy Home Affairs Minister (Wamendagri) Bima Arya Sugiarto supports the construction of a language museum and monument on Pulau Penyengat, Tanjungpinang, as an effort to strengthen the historical and cultural appeal of the Riau Islands (Kepri) Malay heritage. According to Bima, Kepri possesses an advantage not shared by many other regions, namely the history of the birth of the Indonesian language on Pulau Penyengat through the thoughts of Raja Ali Haji. “If we want to underline one thing, this feels like Kepri’s formidable differentiation, which is the historical factor. Speaking of the father of the Indonesian language, Raja Ali Haji. He was also the author of Gurindam Dua Belas, which teaches social ethics,” Bima said during a visit to Batam on Wednesday. He appreciated the Kepri Provincial Government’s plan to build a language museum on Pulau Penyengat as a means of historical education as well as the preservation of Malay cultural heritage. “Raja Ali Haji has two great legacies, namely Gurindam Dua Belas and the guidelines for the Indonesian language. Therefore, let us support this together so that Pulau Penyengat becomes the main magnet in Kepri,” he said. According to Bima, the character of Pulau Penyengat differs from Batam, which is known as a trade and industrial centre, and Bintan, which is developing as a resort tourism area. “If Batam is trade, Bintan has resorts, then Pulau Penyengat feels different. Its advantage lies in its historical value, Malay culture, and the kingdom that has existed since the 19th century,” he said. He stressed that the development of the area must be accompanied by good spatial planning to avoid land conflicts in the future. “We at the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency will support this so that spatial planning proceeds well, thus preventing land conflicts or other land issues,” he said. Kepri Governor Ansar Ahmad stated that the Malay language that developed in Kepri was later chosen as the unifying language of the Indonesian nation because of its open nature, ease of learning, and its use as a means of inter-regional communication for hundreds of years. He explained that the monument is expected to become a learning medium regarding the history of the development of the Indonesian language while strengthening Pulau Penyengat’s position as a historical tourism destination. “The groundbreaking or laying of the first stone will be carried out this coming August, and construction is planned to be completed next year,” he said. The project will be financed through a non-regional budget financing scheme and will involve a loan with a regional bank.