President Prabowo Inaugurates Renovated Semarang Tawang Station, Recalling Sukarno's Legacy

President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated the renovation of the Semarang Tawang Station, a cultural heritage building in Central Java. Prabowo recalled the historical significance of the station, noting that it was frequently used by the first President of the Republic of Indonesia, Sukarno, to travel to other regions for state duties during the early days of independence. "Therefore, maintaining and preserving this Tawang Station is not just about preserving one building, but also about preserving our identity, our historical memory, and our journey," said Prabowo during the inauguration of the renovated Semarang Tawang Station in Central Java on Thursday (30/7/2026). Prabowo then urged all parties to preserve buildings with high historical value. He also expressed his appreciation to PT KAI President Director Bobby Rasyidin for the inauguration of the renovated cultural heritage site. According to him, PT KAI has taken swift action on his instructions since last year. "We thank the President Director of KAI for taking quick and responsive steps," he said. The inauguration marked the completion of the first phase of renovation by PT KAI Daop 4 Semarang, which took 240 days, from May 5 to December 30, 2025. This is part of KAI's larger plan to restore the facade of the Semarang Tawang Station to its original design, as envisioned by Dutch architect Sloth-Blauwboer and constructed by Nederlandsch-Indische Maatschappij (NISM) between 1911 and its inauguration in 1914. As a building with cultural heritage status based on Ministerial Decree No. PM.57/PW007/MKP/2010, the renovation process involved cultural heritage experts to preserve the building's historical value, in compliance with Law No. 11 of 2010 concerning Cultural Heritage.