The government has taken over the management of Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) from former president Soeharto family's Harapan Kita Foundation because the park has been operating at a loss.
aman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) cultural park in East Jakarta has recently been in the spotlight following the government’s move to take over the park from Harapan Kita Foundation, a foundation set up by the family of former president Soeharto.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo signed a presidential regulation on March 31 officially mandating the takeover. The regulation also stipulates a requirement for the government to establish a team overseeing the management transition for three months.
“We remain committed to [TMII] preserving the national heritage and serving as an education facility. But we need to optimize it to be a cultural theme park under international standards,” State Secretary Pratikno said on April 7.
He added that the State Secretariat would appoint a state-owned tourism enterprise to manage TMII following the transition period.
TMII was the brainchild of the late Soeharto’s wife, Tien Soeharto. She floated the idea in 1970 during a meeting with the foundation following her visits to several theme parks across the world, including a Disneyland in the United States. Tien reportedly wanted Indonesia to have its own theme park built specifically to showcase arts and culture from across the archipelago.
Read also: Soeharto tops favorite Indonesian presidents survey: Indo Barometer
The park was opened to the public following its inauguration in 1975. Two years after the inauguration, Soeharto signed a presidential decree that listed TMII as a government property under the State Secretariat. The decree also mandated the park’s operation to Harapan Kita Foundation.
Your thoughts matter - share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.