KRI Teluk Ratai-509 Donated To Pariaman City, Mayor Genius Umar: Administration Is In The Hands Of Minister Of Defense Prabowo

JAKARTA - The TNI AL grant ship KRI Teluk Ratai-509 for Pariaman City, West Sumatra will be placed on Pauh Beach. The location is right behind the Pauh Sports Building (GOR) in Central Pariaman District as a warship museum.

Pariaman Mayor Genius Umar, as quoted from the Antara report, said that his party is currently thinking about how to bring the ship to Pariaman City.

"So while waiting for the administration of the grant to finish," Genius explained to the Pariaman DPRD during the submission of the 2020 APBD Implementation Accountability Report and the Regional Government Financial Report at the Pariaman DPRD Office, Monday, June 14.

Currently, the administration of the ship grant has reached the Minister of Defense, Prabowo Subianto and will be continued to the Minister of Finance. With the ship as a naval museum, he said, it can add to the tourist attraction in Pariaman City.

"Pray for this ship grant to go smoothly so that it can complement tourist destinations in Pariaman City," he said.

He said the ship was a used warship produced in 1944 and operated by the United States and then donated to the Indonesian government. "So this ship was included in World War II because it was produced in 1944," he said.

After being granted to the Government of Indonesia, the name of the ship was changed to KRI and was involved in a number of military and social operations.

Meanwhile, the head of the Pariaman DPRD, Fitri Nora, said that with the warship as a museum, it could raise the historical value of the city which was once a naval military base.

"Hopefully it can attract tourists who want to enjoy historical and educational tours," he said.

He hopes that the funds to bring the ship to Pariaman will be obtained from the central government or other parties, considering that Pariaman's budget is small. However, his party is ready to budget funds for the maintenance of the ship so that it is durable so that it can be used longer.