Museum Bahari valuable but neglected

Museum Bahari valuable but neglected

Bambang Nurbianto
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

Like buried treasure, it's tough to find the Indonesian maritime
history museum, which is hidden away in the corner between the
busy Pasar Ikan and Pakin roads in Penjaringan, North Jakarta.

The entrance to Museum Bahari is small two-meter wide gate
with no clear sign advertising its existence, more proof the city
administration does not seriously promote heritage in the area.

Inside, the museum's collection is rich and varied, consisting
one of about 1,860 historical artifacts from throughout the
country.

Head of the museum education and exhibition unit, Mulyono
Hartono, said the gloomy aspect of the museum building, which was
constructed in 1652, was partly to blame for people's lack of
enthusiasm in visiting.

"Not many people want to come in here ... when they do, their
first complaint is the difficulty finding their way in," he told
The Jakarta Post recently.

There were only about 1,000 visitors a month to the museum on
average, mostly foreign tourists and students from Greater
Jakarta, Mulyono said. Each visitor pays Rp 2,000 (23 US cents)
for admission, while students enter for half price.

The fee is much less than that charged to many visitors at
other tourist destinations -- Ragunan Zoo in South Jakarta; Taman
Mini Indonesia Indah amusement park in East Jakarta; and Ancol
Dreamland in North Jakarta.

As it only collects about Rp 2 million a month from visitors,
the museum is largely dependent on the city administration's
subsidy. Its monthly operational costs reach up to Rp 10 million,
not including employees' salaries.

Most of the budget goes into the preservation of the
collections that take visitors back to the country's old days of
seafarers, pirates and the old port city of Batavia, the
beginning of modern Jakarta.

Visitors can see miniature and life-sized traditional ships
from throughout the country, fishermen's equipment, ship-building
technology, navigation equipment, a miniature of Onrust island
and the history of Dutch sailors in the country.

The museum's building has its own history. Originally a spice
storehouse during the Dutch colonial period, the building was
used as a military depot during the Japanese invasion. Later in
the late 1940s, the Indonesian government converted it into a
power and telecommunications office.

The building was officiated as Museum Bahari in 1977 by the
then city governor Ali Sadikin.

Most analyses of heritage sites said Museum Bahari had good
economic prospects not only because of its rich collection but
also because it sat among many historical sites.

The Outlook Tower is located within the museum's compound, the
Sunda Kelapa seaport and its maritime tourist destination are a
walkable distance, as are the old business district Gedung
Pandjang, the Luar Batang Mosque and Cafe Galangan.

Unfortunately, the administration's Old City Project, which is
aimed at improving the condition of old buildings and historical
sites, has not been completed because of financial constraints.

Mulyono said museum management had proposed many changes to
improve the museum, including the expansion of the display rooms,
the construction of an eye-catching entrance gate and parking
lots for visitors.

The management has also considered changing the museum
entrance from Jl. Pasar Ikan to Jl. Pakin.

Martono Yuwono, the manager of the Sunda Kelapa maritime
tourist resort, said a serious resumption of the Old City Project
would be the key factor in promoting historical sites on the
city's northern coast.

"Historical sites in this area are potential resources if all
parties pay serious attention to developing and promoting them,"
Martono told the Post recently.