Jungle magically transformed into modern city

Jungle magically transformed into modern city

For hundreds of years Batam has been highly regarded due to
its strategic location in the Malacca Strait. One historical
event can prove this, when Admiral Hang Nadim chose Batam for his
defense base during the war waged by the Melayu kingdom against
the Portuguese invaders between the years 1511 and 1528.

However, after the end of Dutch colonization, for some time
the 415 sq kilometer island was completely forgotten.

Its close proximity to neighboring countries, Malaysia and
Singapore, is certainly one of Batam's plus factors. Only 20
kilometers away or a 45-minute ride by ferry from Singapore is
another of the island's geographical blessings.

The previous impression of Batam as being isolated is
immediately erased when one realizes its ideal location facing
the Lion city-state.

Batam, previously a forest, is now second to Bali as a popular
resort for foreign tourists. The latest data indicates the total
number of foreign tourists visiting Batam is 1.2 million for
2001. This number is really fantastic when one considers that the
development of the island is only 31-years old.

Stories about the condition of Batam before it was developed
into an industrial area through Presidential Decree no. 41/1973
on Batam Island as Industrial Area are hard to believe.

As recalled by Mak Iyah, a 70-year old senior resident, who
has spent her entire life on the island resembling the shape of a
scorpion, Batam in the 1970s was not much different from a
jungle. The population at that time was about 6,000 and thinly
spread on the island.

"One shouldn't compare today's conditions with those in the
old days. Batam was very much like a jungle. No shops were
available ... one had to wait for the traveling Chinese traders
for most goods required," Mak Iyah said.

Spurred by the central government's wish to further develop
the island, Batam then became less isolated. Investments grew
rapidly and public infrastructure were also provided.

Today, as part of the spectacular infrastructure, six
sophisticated bridges link seven islands expanding the area into
715 square kilometers, which is popularly known as Barelang,
short for Batam-Rempang-Galang.

The bridges, built in 1992 and completed in 1998, connect the
islands of Batam, Tonton, Nipah, Setoko, Rempang, Galang and
Galang Baru. The bridges also give easy transportation access to
the islands' residents. The Vietnamese refugees' camp - a tourist
attraction on Galang island - is also now easy to reach.

Life has certainly changed in Batam. Shops and supermarkets
have sprung up replacing the traveling Chinese traders of days
gone by. The traditional boats as a means of transportation -
locally called bot pancung - are now replaced by luxury cars,
though some of them are second hand cars imported from Singapore.

A modern lifestyle has also set in the islands. The face of
Batam - formerly an almost uninhabited island - is now adorned
with skyscrapers and fine avenues.