Batam

Batam
City
Kota Batam
City of Batam
Batam city montage, from top left to right: The front view of Batam Great Mosque, The City Hall building, skyline of Batam city-centre, Nagoya Business Area, and a busy road in downtown.

Seal
Nickname(s): Kota Industri
("The Industrial City")

Motto(s): Terwujudnya Batam Sebagai Bandar Dunia yang Modern dan Pusat Pertumbuhan Ekonomi Nasional

(The realization of Batam as a modern world-class city and a centre of national economic growth)

Location within Riau Islands
Batam
Location in Sumatra and Indonesia
Batam
Batam (Indonesia)
Coordinates: 1°05′N 104°02′E / 1.083°N 104.033°E / 1.083; 104.033Coordinates: 1°05′N 104°02′E / 1.083°N 104.033°E / 1.083; 104.033
Country  Indonesia
Region Sumatra
Province  Riau Islands
Government
  Mayor Muhammad Rudi
  Vice Mayor Amsakar Achmad
Area
  Total 1,595 km2 (616 sq mi)
  Land 715 km2 (276 sq mi)
  Water 880 km2 (340 sq mi)
Population (2017)
  Total 1,236,399
  Density 780/km2 (2,000/sq mi)
  Urban density 800/km2 (2,000/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+7 (Indonesia Western Time)
Postal code 29453
Area code (+62) 778
Vehicle registration BP
Website batamkota.go.id

Batam is the largest city in the province of Riau Islands, Indonesia. The city administrative area covers three main islands of Batam, Rempang, and Galang (collectively called Barelang), as well as several small islands. Batam Island is the core urban and industrial zone, while both Rempang Island and Galang Island maintain their rural character and are connected to Batam Island by short bridges. Batam is an industrial boomtown, an emerging transport hub, and part of a free trade zone in the Indonesia–Malaysia–Singapore Growth Triangle, located 20 km (12 mi) off Singapore's south coast and also part of the Indonesia–Malaysia–Thailand Growth Triangle.[1][2]

The Batam municipality has a population of 1,164,352 in the 2015 intercensal survey. It is the closest part of Indonesia to Singapore, at a minimum land distance of 5.8 km. During the 2010 national Census, Batam was the fastest-growing municipality in Indonesia the decade prior, with a population growth rate of 11% per year.[3] In 2017 it has been reported the island suffered from severe job losses, some 300,000 workers have been laid off.[4]

History

Harbor view with oil tanks from the Shell at Sambu Island, 1936

Batam Island was first inhabited by the Malays as the Orang laut since the year 231 AD. The island that once served as the field of struggle of Admiral Hang Nadim against the invaders was used by the government in the 1960s as a petroleum logistics base on Sambu Island.

In the 1970s, with the initial goal of making Batam as Indonesia version of Singapore, according to Presidential Decree number 41 year 1973, Batam Island is designated as working environment of industrial area supported by Batam Island Industrial Development Authority or better known as Batam Authority Board (BOB) as the driving force for the development of Batam. Nowadays the name change to Batam Development Board (Indonesian: Badan Pengusahan Batam or BP Batam). With the rapid development of the island of Batam, in the 1980s, based on Government Regulation No. 34 of 1983, the Batam District which is part of Riau Islands Regency, was upgraded to Batam municipality which has the duties in running government administration and society and support the development of Batam Authority (BP Batam).

In the era of reform in the late 1990s, with Law No. 53 of 1999, Batam administrative municipality changed its status to an autonomous region, namely Batam City Government to carry out governmental and developmental functions by involving Batam Authority Board (BP Batam).

Geography

Batam is a roughly oval island with many bays, islets, and peninsulas, located west of Bintan Island, south of Singapore, north of Rempang and Galang, and east of Bulan Island. The Riau Strait separates Batam and Bintan. Batam Municipality covers 3,990 km², of which 1,040km² is land, a figure which includes some land reclamation. However, Barelang Island (not actually one but three, see above) covers roughly 715 km² of that 1,040 km², and Batam island itself covers only about 410 km² out of the total. The bulk of the Municipal population resides on Batam island.

Climate

Batam has a tropical climate with average temperatures between 26 and 32 °C. Humidity on the island ranges from 73% to 96%. The wet season spans from November to April, while the dry season is from May to October. Average annual rainfall is around 2,600 mm.

Governance

BP Batam logo

Mayor

The role of Batam City government takes care of all population administration and civil registration as well as Human Resources. In realizing the democratization and continuity of governance in Batam City. On January 5, 2011, held the election of mayor and deputy mayor of Batam. Through an orderly and secure process, it was elected and established Ahmad Dahlan and Muhammad Rudi as Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Batam period of 2011-2016. Currently Batam Mayor occupied by Muhammad Rudi for the period 2016-2021, accompanied by Amsakar Ahmad as Deputy Mayor of Batam.


Batam Development Board (BP)

Agency for Free Trade Zone and Free Port of Batam or often abbreviated as BP Batam is a government body under the Chairmanship of the Board of Regions (DK) Batam Central Government, which is chaired by Darmin Nasution, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs. BP Batam plays a role in land governance and investment in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of Batam.

Administrative divisions

The whole Batam view from the air
Panoramic view of Batam Centre

Batam City (Kotamadya Batam) is divided into 12 districts (kecamatan) – which include several adjacent islands such as Bulan, Rempang and Galang, as well as Batam Island itself. The whole municipality is thus often known by the abbreviation of Barelang. The districts are tabulated below with their 2010 Census population:[5]

NamePopulation
Census 2010[5]
Belakang Padang18,508
Bulang9,531
Galang14,983
Sei Beduk80,349
Sagulung149,727
Nongsa49,828
Batam Centre
(central city)
162,238
Sekupang100,108
Batu Aji127,455
Lubuk Baja80,780
Batu Ampar58,745
Bengkong92,033

Demographics

In April 2012, Batam had a population of 1,153,860 inhabitants. The population is increasing rapidly, with a population growth rate of more than 8% per year between 2001 and 2012.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1971 6,000    
1978 34,000+466.7%
1988 88,000+158.8%
1992 123,000+39.8%
1998 294,000+139.0%
2005 616,088+109.6%
2010 944,285+53.3%
2015 1,164,352+23.3%
sources:[6][7]

Ethnicity

Ethnic groups in Batam, 2012
EthnicityPopulationPercentage
Javanese309,00326.78%
Malay260,88722.61%
Batak230.42519.97%
Minangkabau172,27114.93%
Chinese130,15511.28%
others51,1154.43%


Today, Batam is inhabited by a heterogeneous mixture of people due to labor migration and desire to be close to Singapore; it is very diverse, some 2/3 of the total are migrants.[6] The predominant ethnicities are Javanese, Malays, Batak, Minangkabau, and Chinese. As a municipality it exemplifies the national motto of "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" (Unity in Diversity). The location of Batam close to Singapore is conducive to the development of economic, sociopolitical, and cultural aspects of the local community.

Religion

Religion in Batam – Indonesia 2017 Census[8]
religion percent
Islam
71.20%
Christianity
21.72%
Buddhism
6.78%
Confucianism
0.10%
Hinduism
0.07%
Others
0.03%

Islam is the majority religion in Batam, followed by Christians, Buddhists and Hinduism. Most of those who follow Islam are Javanese, Malays and Minangkabaus. The Great Mosque of Batam, located in the city center adjacent to the main square, the mayor's office and the provincial Parliament, is an important symbol of Islamic religious life in Batam. Christianity and Catholicism are also widely embraced by people of Batam, especially those from the Batak people of Sumatra and transmigrants from Flores also from East Indonesia. The majority of the Chinese population practises Buddhism. A number of Viharas are located in Batam, of which Vihara Duta Maitreya is one of the most frequented, and is the largest Vihara in Southeast Asia with an area of 4.5 hectares.

Language

Indonesian is the common lingua franca of Batam in daily use. Malay, Minangkabau, Batak, Javanese, and Chinese ethnic dialects like Hokkien and Teochew are also used, the usage of Mandarin and English are also trending due to Singapore influence, especially by expats living in Batam.

Economy

Industrial Area in Batam

Based on Presidential Decree No. 41/1973, the Batam Industrial Development Authority (BP Batam) was established to manage 415 square kilometer industrial complex in Batam City for heavy industry. Previously only Pertamina, Indonesia state oil company settled there with only 6,000 inhabitants.[9] Shipbuilding and electronics manufacturing are important industries on the island. Being located close to the ports of Singapore, the speed of goods shipping and product distribution is increased, benefiting the island's economy. With lower labor costs and special government incentives, it is the site of many factories operated by foreign companies.[10]

Under a framework signed in June 2006, Batam, along with parts of neighbouring Bintan and Karimun, are a part of a Special Economic Zone with Singapore; this zone eliminates tariffs and value-added taxes for goods shipped between Batam and Singapore.[11] In 2007, Law No. 44 was enacted to supplement Law No. 36/2000 in establishing Batam as a free trade zone for 70 years. BP Batam still manage the industrial complex. And in 2016, responsibility of industrial complex changed from Governor of Riau Islands Province to the Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister as per Presidential Decree No. 8/2016.[9]

Tourism forms a large part of the economy, with over 1.5 million tourists visiting the city in 2015.[12] Batam is the third busiest entry port to Indonesia next to Bali and Jakarta.[13] In 2014, around 58.8% of foreign tourists came from Singapore, 12.8% from Malaysia and 4.2% from South Korea.[14][15]

Transport

Ferry

Sekupang International Ferry Terminal

The local ferry terminal ports connect to nearby Singapore and Bintan, and provides routes to Johor Bahru (Malaysia). Five ferry terminals are on the island: Harbourbay, Nongsapura Ferry Terminal, Sekupang, Waterfront City, and Batam Centre International Ferry Terminal. Connections to Singapore is by way of Harbourfront and Tanah Merah Ferry Terminals run by Singapore Cruise Centre (SCC).

The most recent incident happened on 29 November 2015 when a ferry 'Sea Prince' hit floating object(s) while en route to Singapore from Batam and began leaking. A total of 97 passengers were rescued on life rafts.[16][17]

Signs showing a picture of a raised finger over a pair of lips have been placed in August 2014 at the Batam Centre International Ferry Terminal to request silence while queuing for immigration to hear names being called and clearly hear instructions given by the immigration officer. Some visitors have been sent back immediately on the first ferry available for flouting this rule. The signs are also applicable at other terminals, but they are not strictly enforced.[18][19]

Trans Batam

Trans Batam is the most reliable and the cheapest public transportation in Batam. Its operation began in 2005. Trans Batam is the second BRT system in Indonesia, after Jakarta's TransJakarta. The price for one ride is Rp2,000 for students and Rp4,000 for public. Trans Batam begins its trip from 05:30 to 19:00.

Trans Batam serves 5 corridors of route:

Corridor #Origin-Destination
1Batam Centre-Sekupang
2Batam Centre-Batu Aji
3Sekupang-Jodoh
4Sekupang-Batu Aji
5Batam Centre-Tanjung Piayu

Taxi

Blue Bird Taxi

Taxies in Batam are almost available anywhere, at ferry terminals, airport, shopping malls, hotels, etc. More than 3000 taxies are in Batam. In the early 2000s, Batam commonly had Toyota Corolla taxies. Starting in late 2013, more than 95% of taxies are brand new using the Toyota Limo and Chevrolet Lova.

Airport

Hang Nadim International Airport

Hang Nadim International Airport is the island's main airport, and has the longest runway of all airports in Indonesia. The airport was the largest airport in the Sumatra region from 1995–2012 with a capacity of 6 million passengers per year, and is now the second largest in the Sumatra region after Kuala Namu International Airport in Medan with a capacity of 8 million passengers. The airport has 4 pairs of jetbridges and 2 single jetbridges. Hang Nadim International Airport is the hub for Lion Air, Batik Air, Citilink, and Malindo Air. BP Batam, which operates Hang Nadim International Airport will build a new terminal with a capacity of 8 million passengers per year for each terminal (16 million passengers per year in total for two terminals) in late 2016. BP Batam targets to build 8 pairs of jetbridges in the new terminal.[20] Domestic destinations include Pekanbaru, Palembang, Medan, Jakarta, Padang, Surabaya, Bandung, Bandar Lampung, Balikpapan, Yogyakarta, Makassar, and many more. International flights currently include Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (operated by Malindo Air).

Environment

Due to piling works for tourism activity, sand mining, and logging for charcoal business, only 4.2% of Batam island is covered in mangrove forest, a great decrease from 24% in 1970.[21] Originally, Batam Island had 41,500 hectares of mangrove forests.[22]

References

  1. "Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT)". imtgt.org.
  2. "Country Information – Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT)". imtgt.org.
  3. Firman, Tommy (12 May 2012). "Urbanization and urban development patterns". The Jarkata Post. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  4. Post, The Jakarta. "Batam economy in a state of emergency, mayor says". thejakartapost.com.
  5. 1 2 Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.
  6. 1 2 Hutchinson, Francis E.; Chong, Terence (14 June 2016). "The SIJORI Cross-Border Region: Transnational Politics, Economics, and Culture". ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute via Google Books.
  7. "Indonesia: Administrative Division (Provinces, Regencies and Cities) - Population Statistics, Charts and Map". www.citypopulation.de.
  8. "Riau Islands Province in Figures 2017". BPS Kepulauan Riau. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  9. 1 2 "BP Batam: 45 years of developing Batam". December 3, 2016.
  10. "Indonesia President inaugurates Batam free trade zone". Xinhua General News Service. 19 January 2009.
  11. Teo, Laurel (19 May 2007). "Indon SEZ rules ready by end-May; Setting of a deadline likely to please potential investors". The Business Times Singapore.
  12. Batam Targetkan 1,7 Juta Kunjungan Turis Asing Tahun Ini
  13. "Batam Island - Where Business Meets Pleasure – Indonesia.Travel". indonesia.travel.
  14. "Singapura & Malaysia Penyumbang Wisman Terbanyak ke Batam". batampos.co.id.
  15. "Bulan Desember Tahun 2014, Jumlah Wisatawan Mancanegara yang Berkunjung ke Kota Batam Mencapai 171.907 Orang". bps.go.id.
  16. Meah, Natasha; Yin, Chai Hung (1 December 2015). "Batam ferry incident: 'People fended for themselves'". The New Paper. AsiaOne. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  17. "Batam ferry incident: Passenger claims overcrowded rafts burst during evacuation". AsiaOne. 30 November 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  18. "Shhh! Be silent at Batam immigration queue or be sent back home". 17 August 2014.
  19. Chris Kitching (19 August 2014). "'Keep quiet or you'll be kicked out of the country!': Ferry terminal's noisy visitors could be DEPORTED if they even whisper while standing in immigration queues".
  20. "Airports in Indonesia".
  21. "Batam Loses 800 Hectares of Its Mangrove Forest". 15 June 2015.
  22. "Batam Mangrove Forest Shrinking in Size". 7 October 2015.
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