Indonesian President Prabowo Wants Grand National Museum in Jakarta's Monas Area After National Gallery and Museum Revamp
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto wants a Grand National Museum built in the National Monument (Monas) area of Jakarta as a centre for history, education, entertainment and recreation for the public. Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya relayed the President's instruction in Jakarta on the evening of November 6, 2026: after the revitalisation of the National Gallery and the National Museum is completed, Indonesia should have a large-scale museum, particularly for pupils and young people.
President Prabowo conveyed the instruction to Culture Minister Fadli Zon during a limited cabinet meeting at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Thursday. The National Gallery stands on Jalan Medan Merdeka Timur and the National Museum of Indonesia, also known as the Elephant Museum, on Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat in Central Jakarta, both around the Monas precinct, so the sequence is set: revitalise the two existing institutions first, then build the new museum.
Teddy said the museum project and the revitalisation of the Monas area and Gambir Station were meant to make the sites more comfortable and attractive, reinforce their historical and educational value, and become a source of national pride, not only better public facilities.
The Indonesian Museum Association has expressed support for the proposal. As reported by ANTARA, the association envisages a museum presenting the history of the Indonesian archipelago from prehistory to the present, with an emphasis on public engagement and younger audiences.
No scale, budget or construction timetable has been announced yet. What is settled is the site and the purpose: in the Monas area, forming a cultural cluster with the National Gallery and the National Museum.
(Source: ANTARA News Agency)
Source: ANTARA News Agency
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：雅加达独立广场与国家纪念碑（Monas）全景，新博物馆就计划建在纪念碑区。照片：Gunawan Kartapranata，CC BY-SA 3.0，经维基共享资源。 / Photo: Panorama of Merdeka Square and the National Monument (Monas) in Jakarta, the area planned for the new museum. Photo: Gunawan Kartapranata, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
