New museum at Taman Mini
New museum at Taman Mini
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto inaugurated the electricity and new energy museum at the Indonesia-in-Miniature Park (Taman Mini Indonesia Indah) yesterday in conjunction with the park's 20th anniversary.
The inauguration was marked with the sounding of a siren and the signing of a plaque by the President.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by First Lady Mrs. Tien Soeharto, Vice President Try Sutrisno and Madame Tuty Try Sutrisno, member of the sixth development cabinet and foreign ambassadors.
Minister of Mines and Energy I.B. Sudjana reported at the ceremony that the museum was built at a cost of Rp 17 billion (US$7.72 million) on three hectares of land.
"The museum is expected to pass on the historical role of energy before and after the independence of this country to the next generation," Sudjana said.
The new facility is the second energy museum in the park, after the oil and gas museum. Two other energy museums -- fossil energy and conventional energy -- are expected to be built in the area.
On the same occasion, the President also presented medals of appreciation to six people involved in the development of the museum. The six are Minister of National Development Planning (former Minister of Mines and Energy) Ginandjar Kartasasmita, I.B. Sudjana, former director general of electricity and new energy Artono Arismunandar, current director general of electricity and new energy Zuhal, president of state oil company Pertamina F. Abda'oe and president of state electricity company PLN Djiteng Marsudi.
The First Lady also presented winning prizes to Hadi Supeno from the Merdeka daily and a representative of the Medan-based Analisa daily for a writing competition on TMII.
Meanwhile, general manager of the park Sampurno said that he was pleased because society is starting to give more attention to the park's efforts to preserve, develop and introduce the cultural values of the nation.
"The park will always listen and accept any opinion from the people," Sampurno said, adding that the park will someday be a monument for national culture.
Previously on Wednesday, Sudjana handed over the electricity and new energy museum to Madame Tien Soeharto, the chairperson of Harapan Kita Foundation and the TMII Management and Development Board.
Located near the Halim Perdanakusuma airport in East Jakarta, the park was built under the initiative of the First Lady and opened on April 20, 1975. (yns)