Article ‘Setelah Kementerian Kebudayaan terbentuk’ in Jawa Pos of 25 October 2024, written by KITLV researcher Adrian Perkasa.

The newly elected Indonesian President, Prabowo Subianto, has revealed the members of his cabinet, which features a dedicated ministry for culture. The formation of the Ministry of Culture, alongside the fulfillment of his pledge during the prior presidential election campaign, represents an important milestone in Indonesian history.

For the first time in 79 years since gaining independence, Indonesia has established its own Ministry of Culture, separate from other governmental functions. The Minister of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, Fadli Zon, has articulated his vision to establish Indonesia as the cultural capital of the world. This marked his inaugural address as a minister. He contends that Indonesia’s cultural potential is as substantial as its natural resource potential, rendering this concept attainable. Then, this essay’s main question is: How can the newly formed ministry attain this objective? By delving into the Indonesian cultural strategic document from the previous Cultural Congress and investigating what issues have not been included, I depict the challenges and opportunities for this newly established department to achieve its goal.