National Museum Ensures Transparency on the Aftermath of Saturday Fire

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Acting Head of the Public Service Agency for Museums and Cultural Heritage Ahmad Mahendra ensured that the National Museum will be transparent about the condition of the affected museum collections after a fire broke out last Saturday, September 16, 2023.

"The point is, we will inform you when everything is clear. We are committed to being transparent about the data to avoid any error," Ahmad said on Monday.

Ahmad also hoped that the museum could still restore affected artifacts. He stressed that the National Museum will cooperate with experts on the situation and openly report the progress. "Hopefully we could still restore the damages, if any. We will surely report [the progress] since we are also cooperating with experts in addition to the National Museum staff," he said.

When asked about the damages, Ahmad said that he could not give out any details as there are procedures to go through, including investigative procedures.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Central Jakarta Resort Police Chief Commissioner of Police Komarudin stated earlier that the fire engulfed six rooms in the building.

On their first day of investigation on Sunday, September 17, a team from the forensic laboratory center investigated the scene, continuing to their second day on Monday,

Komarudin mentioned that the identification process in the National Museum was conducted by the joint apparatus of curators, conservators, and relevant experts. The team was also supported by the General Facility and Infrastructure Management team to sort out the artifacts in between debris.

"For now, that's what we could do along with the forensic laboratory conducting their investigation intensely since there are six damaged rooms [in the museum]," he concluded.

SAVERO ARISTIA WIENANTO

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