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Prabowo inaugurates construction of Majapahit palace replica
In his speech to inaugurate the project Prabowo said that the initiative to recreate the sprawling palace of Majapahit should be seen as an effort to preserve the country's history and culture.
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President-elect Prabowo Subianto signs on May 8, 2024 a plaque to mark the start of the construction of a replica palace of the Majapahit kingdom as former National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief AM Hendropriyono looks on. (Antara/Prabowo Subianto PR team)
P
resident-elect and current Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto officially kicked off on Tuesday the construction work for a project in East Jakarta to build a replica of the palace of the historic Javanese kingdom of Majapahit.
In his speech to inaugurate the project Prabowo said that the initiative to build the sprawling palace of Majapahit should be seen as an effort to preserve the country's history and culture.
"If we ourselves don't respect and appreciate our own culture, then who will?" Prabowo asked.
Majapahit was a Javanese Hindu-Buddhist kingdom based in Trowulan in East Java, which lasted from 1293 to the early 16th century and reached its peak during the era of Hayam Wuruk.
The reign of Hayam Wuruk, who ruled from 1350 to 1389 was marked by conquests that extended throughout Southeast Asia.
Majapahit was used by Indonesia's founding fathers as the justification for the construction of what would become the modern nation-state of Indonesia.
The initiative to build a replica of the Majapahit palace in Cipayung, East Jakarta, came from former National Intelligence Agency (BIN) AM Hendro Priyono.
In his speech, Prabowo praised Hendro for devising the plan.
"This is an extraordinary idea from Pak Hendropriyono," said Prabowo.
Hendro was one of the first former Indonesian Military (TNI) generals to back Prabowo's presidential candidacy in early 2023.
In backing Prabowo, Hendro parted ways with his own son-in-law and former TNI commander Andika Perkasa, who decided to endorse the presidential bid of former Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo.
