Tanri Abeng to build cultural museum in Rotterdam

Antara News, Fri, February 25 2011

This is just a piece of the story as I know, there are many more other literacy in this epic. In fact, the original text translator who was invited by the Dutch Government to translate some 6,000 pages of the manuscript, Muhammad Salim is able to translate it in a period of 5.2 years

Makassar, S.Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - Former Minister of State Enterprises Tanri Abeng who became the originator of the staging epic I La Galigo, will build a cultural and historical museum in Fort Rotterdam in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

"After staging the epic I La Galaligo, we hope that the cultural and historical museum will also be built in Fort Rotterdam in Makassar," he said here Friday.

He added that there are officials who do not know the heroism saga of South Sulawesi I La Galigo which drove him to establish the museum filled with works of literature like epic I La Galigo.

Tanri Abeng that explained Surek Galigo also called La Galigo was an epic and myth of Buginese civilization in South Sulawesi written between the 13th and 15th centuries in the form of poetry in the ancient Bugisnese language.

The story was written in ancient Bugisnese Lontara letters, composed in pentameter and in addition to tell the story of human origins, also serves as a daily practical almanac.

The epic I La Galigo is the oldest and longest in the world before the epic of Mahabharata of India. It mostly contained poetry written in ancient Bugisnese language.

This epic tells the story of Sawerigading, a courageous hero and also foreigners.

He said that the epic I La Galigo Surek is not a history text because it is full of myth and extraordinary events. However, the epic is still given to show historians the Buginese culture before the 14th century.

"This is just a piece of the story as I know, there are many more other literacy in this epic. In fact, the original text translator who was invited by the Dutch Government to translate some 6,000 pages of the manuscript, Muhammad Salim is able to translate it in a period of 5.2 years," Tanri Abeng noted.

Therefore, the national businessman from Selayar district (South Sulawesi) said, it is very sad if there are officials or many people who did not know the epic figure of I La Galigo who received a recognition as a world heritage.

Hence, I will try to create a cultural and historic museum for the younger generation who wanted to know about the literary works of South Sulawesi and do no need to go overseas to study it, he said.

"If you want to study literature or the heroic figure of the Buginese in Makassar there is is no need to go abroad, and simply go to Fort Rotterdam museum. I do not want the younger generation to forget that in South Sulawesi the world has ever given birth to a legacy" Tanri Abeng said.

Editor: Aditia Maruli