Batam Drafts Regulation to Provide Legal Certainty for 37 Oldest Settlements

The Batam Land Agency, Kepulauan Riau, held a public discussion on Monday to review the academic draft of a Regional Regulation (Ranperda) concerning the arrangement of Old Villages. The regulation is designed to provide legal certainty while empowering the communities residing in 37 of the city’s oldest settlements. Head of the Batam Land Agency, Dahlina Nopilawati, emphasised that the regulation is not solely about granting land certificates. She stated that the government also wants to ensure that the Malay culture, which is the identity of these old villages, is preserved.