From top left to right: Welcome to Batam signboard, Harbour Bay, Barelang Bridge, Nagoya Hill shopping mall, Batam Great Mosque, Sekupang Ferry terminal, Downtown Batam skyline at night and aerial view of Batam
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 Bulang to the west and several small islands. Batam Island is the core urban and industrial zone, while both Rempang Island and Galang Island maintain their rural character and low-density population; they are connected to Batam Island by short bridges. Bulang Island and the islands to its north forming Belakang Padang District lie to the west of Batam Island but are also administratively within the city. 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.[2][3][4]
According to Statistics Indonesia's 2020 census, Batam had a municipal population of 1,196,396,[5] making it the third largest city in the region of Sumatra, after Medan and Palembang.[6] The official estimated population as of mid-2022 was 1,269,413.[1] It is the closest part of Indonesia to Singapore, at a minimum distance of 5.8 km across the Singapore Strait. 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.[7] In 2017, the island suffered severe job losses; some 300,000 workers were laid off.[8]
History
Harbor view with oil tanks from the Shell at Sambu Island, 1936
The first recorded inhabitants at Batam Island are Malays known as Orang Laut, from the year 231 AD.[9] The island group once served as the field of struggle of Admiral Hang Nadim, against Portuguese invaders in the 16th century, and was utilised by the Indonesian government in the 1960s, who maintained a petroleum logistics base on Sambu Island, one of the minor islands in the Batam group of islands.
In the 1970s, according to Presidential Decree No. 41/1973, Batam Island was designated as a working environment of an industrial area supported by Batam Island Industrial Development Authority or better known as Batam Authority Board (BOB, now Batam Development Board (Indonesian: Badan Pengusahan Batam or BP Batam) as the driving force for the development of Batam, with the initial aim of making Batam the "Indonesian version of Singapore". With the rapid development of the island, based on Government Regulation No. 34/1983, the Batam District (which is part of Riau Islands Regency) was upgraded to municipality status which has the duties to run government administration and society and support the development of BP Batam.
In the Indonesian Reformation era in the late 1990s, with Act No. 53/1999, the Batam administrative municipality changed its status to an autonomous region, namely Batam City Government to carry out governmental and developmental functions by involving 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 Bulang Island. The Singapore Strait separates Singapore and Batam, while the Riau Strait separates Batam and Bintan island. Batam Municipality covers 3,869km2, of which 1,034.73km2 is land, a figure which includes some land reclamation. However, Barelang Island (not actually one but three, see above) covers roughly 715km2 of that 1,034.73km2, and Batam island itself covers only about 410km2 out of the total. The bulk of the municipal population resides on Batam Island.
The Batam city government takes care of all population administration and civil registration as well as human resources. The current mayor is Muhammad Rudi who has served since 2016, accompanied by Amsakar Ahmad as deputy mayor.[11]
The whole Batam view from the airPanoramic view of Batam Centre
Batam city is divided into twelve districts (kecamatan) – which include several adjacent islands such as Bulang to the west, and Rempang and Galang to the south, as well as Batam Island itself. Batam Island is connected by bridges to Rempang and Galang, and this group is thus often known by the abbreviation of Barelang. The districts are tabulated below with their areas, 2010 census populations[12] and 2020 census populations,[5] together with the official estimates as at mid 2022 [1] The table also includes the number of administrative villages within each district, all classed as urban kelurahan,[1] and its postal codes.
1 comprises 116 islands to the west of Batam Island.
2 comprises 70 islands to the southwest of Batam Island
3 comprises 82 islands to the south of Batam Island, including Galang Island and Rempang Island.
4 comprises the east part of Batam Island, but also includes 23 islands off the eastern shore.
5 includes 14 islands off the coast of Batam Island.
Demographics
At the 2020 census, Batam had a population of 1,196,396 inhabitants. The population was increasing rapidly, with a population growth rate of more than 8% per year between 2001 and 2012, but the increase has subsequently slowed.
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, two-thirds of the population are migrants.[13] The predominant ethnicities are Malays, Javanese, Batak, Minangkabau, and Chinese. As a municipality it exemplifies the national motto of "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" (Unity in Diversity). The location of Batam, which is close to Singapore, is conducive to the development of economic, sociopolitical, and cultural aspects of the local community.
Islam is the majority religion in Batam, followed by Christianity, Buddhism 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 is also widely embraced by the people of Batam, especially those from the Batak people of Sumatra and migrants 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.
Based on Presidential Decree No. 41/1973, the Batam Industrial Development Authority (BP Batam) was established to manage 415 square kilometers of industrial complex in Batam City for heavy industry. Previously only Pertamina, the Indonesian state oil company, settled there with only 6,000 inhabitants.[17]
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.[18]
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.[19] 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 manages the industrial complex. And in 2016, the responsibility of industrial complex changed from the governor of Riau IslandsProvince to the Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister as per Presidential Decree No. 8/2016.[17]
Tourism
Tengku Fisabilillah Bridge, the iconic part of Barelang Bridge
Over 1.5 million tourists visited the city in 2015.[20] Batam is the third-busiest entry port to Indonesia next to Bali and Jakarta.[21] In 2014, around 58.8% of foreign tourists came from Singapore, 12.8% from Malaysia and 4.2% from South Korea.[22][23] Popular tourism spots in Batam include the Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Temple, shopping malls (including Grand Batam Mall, Mega Mall Batam Centre, Nagoya Hill Shopping Centre, etc), Jabal Arafah Mosque, and the Barelang Bridge.
Foreign Investment
In the first semester of 2023, the value of foreign investment reached US$1.2 billion, while domestic investment was recorded at US$168 million. Most of the foreign investment came from Singapore.[24] Foreigners are allowed to buy apartments with limited leases but not landed homes in Indonesia.[25] In 2021, a group of Singaporeans were forcibly evicted after their 30-year property leases expired in Sekupang.[26]
Transport
Ferry
Sekupang International Ferry TerminalHorizon Fast Ferry
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.[27][28]
Harbour Bay International Ferry TerminalHarbour Bay Terminal
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 are not strictly enforced.[29]
Trans Batam
Trans Batam interiorTrans Batam buses
Trans Batam is the most reliable and the cheapest public transportation in Batam. It began to operate in 2005. Trans Batam is the second BRT system in Indonesia, after Jakarta'sTransJakarta. The price for one ride is Rp2,000 for students and Rp4,000 for the public. Trans Batam operates from 05:30 to 19:00.
Trans Batam serves eight corridors of route:
Corridor
Origin & destination
1
Sekupang–Batam Centre
2
Tanjung Uncang–Batam Centre
3
Sekupang–Jodoh
4
Sagulung–Sekupang
5
Jodoh–Batam Centre
6
Tanjung Piayu–Batam Centre
7
Nongsa–Batam Centre
8
Punggur–Jodoh
Source: Batam City Government Transportation Agency[30]
Taxis in Batam are available almost anywhere at ferry terminals, the airport, shopping malls, hotels, etc. More than 3000 taxis are in Batam. In the early 2000s, Batam commonly had Toyota Corolla taxis. Starting in late 2013, more than 95% of taxis are brand new using the Toyota Limo and Chevrolet Lova.
Due to piling works for touristic activity, sand mining, and logging for charcoal business, only 4.2% of Batam Island is covered in mangrove forests, a great decrease from 24% in 1970.[32] Originally, Batam Island had 41,500 hectares of mangrove forests.[33]
Gallery
Turi Beach Resort
The 2014 National MTQ Building in Dataran Engku Putri, Batam Centre
Great Mosque of Batam
Pacific Palace Hotel
Batam Centre
Barelang Bridge
BCC Hotel Tower and iHotel Baloi
Batam Harbour Bay downtown, Harbour Bay ferry terminal
^"Indonesia President inaugurates Batam free trade zone". Xinhua General News Service. 19 January 2009.
^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.
Indonesia
Riau Islands
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