Jungle magically transformed into modern city<\/p>\n
For hundreds of years Batam has been highly regarded due to
\nits strategic location in the Malacca Strait. One historical
\nevent can prove this, when Admiral Hang Nadim chose Batam for his
\ndefense base during the war waged by the Melayu kingdom against
\nthe Portuguese invaders between the years 1511 and 1528.<\/p>\n
However, after the end of Dutch colonization, for some time
\nthe 415 sq kilometer island was completely forgotten.<\/p>\n
Its close proximity to neighboring countries, Malaysia and
\nSingapore, is certainly one of Batam's plus factors. Only 20
\nkilometers away or a 45-minute ride by ferry from Singapore is
\nanother of the island's geographical blessings.<\/p>\n
The previous impression of Batam as being isolated is
\nimmediately erased when one realizes its ideal location facing
\nthe Lion city-state.<\/p>\n
Batam, previously a forest, is now second to Bali as a popular
\nresort for foreign tourists. The latest data indicates the total
\nnumber of foreign tourists visiting Batam is 1.2 million for
\n2001. This number is really fantastic when one considers that the
\ndevelopment of the island is only 31-years old.<\/p>\n
Stories about the condition of Batam before it was developed
\ninto an industrial area through Presidential Decree no. 41\/1973
\non Batam Island as Industrial Area are hard to believe.<\/p>\n
As recalled by Mak Iyah, a 70-year old senior resident, who
\nhas spent her entire life on the island resembling the shape of a
\nscorpion, Batam in the 1970s was not much different from a
\njungle. The population at that time was about 6,000 and thinly
\nspread on the island.<\/p>\n
\"One shouldn't compare today's conditions with those in the
\nold days. Batam was very much like a jungle. No shops were
\navailable ... one had to wait for the traveling Chinese traders
\nfor most goods required,\" Mak Iyah said.<\/p>\n
Spurred by the central government's wish to further develop
\nthe island, Batam then became less isolated. Investments grew
\nrapidly and public infrastructure were also provided.<\/p>\n
Today, as part of the spectacular infrastructure, six
\nsophisticated bridges link seven islands expanding the area into
\n715 square kilometers, which is popularly known as Barelang,
\nshort for Batam-Rempang-Galang.<\/p>\n
The bridges, built in 1992 and completed in 1998, connect the
\nislands of Batam, Tonton, Nipah, Setoko, Rempang, Galang and
\nGalang Baru. The bridges also give easy transportation access to
\nthe islands' residents. The Vietnamese refugees' camp - a tourist
\nattraction on Galang island - is also now easy to reach.<\/p>\n
Life has certainly changed in Batam. Shops and supermarkets
\nhave sprung up replacing the traveling Chinese traders of days
\ngone by. The traditional boats as a means of transportation -
\nlocally called bot pancung - are now replaced by luxury cars,
\nthough some of them are second hand cars imported from Singapore.<\/p>\n
A modern lifestyle has also set in the islands. The face of
\nBatam - formerly an almost uninhabited island - is now adorned
\nwith skyscrapers and fine avenues.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jungle-magically-transformed-into-modern-city-1447899208",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}