PANGKALPINANG – The Tin Museum of Indonesia (MTI) Pangkalpinang, managed by PT Timah, has become one of the main attractions in the Bangka Belitung Islands Province.
As one of the world's largest tin producers, PT Timah opened the Tin Museum Pangkalpinang in 1997 as an educational center on the history of tin mining for the public and tourists.
Seeing the development of the Tin Museum of Indonesia (MTI) Pangkalpinang has sparked interest in PT Bukit Asam representatives to conduct a study on how to develop and manage the Tin Museum of Indonesia Pangkalpinang.
Vice President of Asset Management and Supporting Civil Infrastructure at PT Bukit Asam, Mohamad Aditya Purwono, along with his delegation, visited the Tin Museum of Indonesia Pangkalpinang on Wednesday (September 18, 2024).
Accompanied by the Head of the Tin Museum of Indonesia Pangkalpinang, Taufik, they toured the museum and had discussions.
Aditya mentioned that their visit was to learn from and observe MTI Pangkalpinang, as they also have a Coal Museum in Tanjung Enim, South Sumatra, which was just opened in 2022.
According to him, MTI Pangkalpinang is one of the museums widely recognized by the public, and they also aim to develop their Coal Museum to reach the same level as PT Timah's museum.
"I’m impressed. We know that the Tin Museum Pangkalpinang has been established for a long time, managed by PT Timah to provide historical knowledge about tin, when tin mining began in Bangka, and PT Timah's role in the economy of Bangka Belitung and Indonesia as a whole," he said.
He explained that PT Bukit Asam’s motivation to build a Coal Museum is part of their effort to educate the public about coal mining from its beginnings to the present in Tanjung Enim.
"We want to learn what is needed to ensure that the museum has added value so that the original educational purpose of establishing the museum can be fulfilled," he said.
From this visit, he explained that there are several things they can adopt and develop at the Coal Museum, such as enriching the material about the history of coal mining and creating a storyline that is easily understood by visitors.
"Since our coal museum is still new, we need to learn about management, materials, collections, and other essential aspects of museum operations. There are several things we can implement and further develop," he said.
Some of the facilities are similar to those at the Tin Museum Pangkalpinang, such as a mini studio to explain coal mining.
"The management of the Tin Museum of Indonesia (MTI) is excellent, and it can even be synergized with the tourism sector. Moreover, the Pownis car they have is also an attraction," he added. (*)
