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Sea change for Batam, Bintan and surrounding islands thanks to upcoming bridge

7km sea bridge coming up in Riau Islands set to bring growth to 'forgotten' villages

Find out what's on the Tanjung Sauh and Ngenang islands and how residents there will be impacted by the bridge linking Batam and Bintan and passing through Tanjung Sauh and Buau.
A Lion Air aircraft repair facility in Batam. Aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul is an emerging industry for which Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi is hoping for cooperation with Singapore. Air Mas village, an indigenous Orang Asli en
Air Mas village, an indigenous Orang Asli enclave on the southern tip of Tanjung Sauh island in Indonesia’s Riau Islands province. It is one of the smaller islands surrounding the popular Indonesian resort islands of Batam and Bintan that do not have buses, cars, hospitals or grocery stores. There is hope that when the 7km sea bridge improves connectivity in the province, the smaller islands will be able to catch up in growth and also enjoy economic prosperity. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
A Lion Air aircraft repair facility in Batam. Aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul is an emerging industry for which Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi is hoping for cooperation with Singapore. Air Mas village, an indigenous Orang Asli en
A Lion Air aircraft repair facility in Batam. Aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul is an emerging industry for which Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi is hoping for cooperation with Singapore. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
A Lion Air aircraft repair facility in Batam. Aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul is an emerging industry for which Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi is hoping for cooperation with Singapore. Air Mas village, an indigenous Orang Asli en
Vocational students training at steel pipe firm Dwi Sumber Arca Waja. Firms in Batam are providing training to get these students ready to work – in line with President Joko Widodo’s vow to raise the vocational skills of Indonesia’s young workers. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
A Lion Air aircraft repair facility in Batam. Aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul is an emerging industry for which Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi is hoping for cooperation with Singapore. Air Mas village, an indigenous Orang Asli en
Fisherman La Ode Utumudin from Ngenang village with the second-hand Suzuki Carry he got last year, becoming the first on his island to own a four-wheeled vehicle. He now uses it to ferry housewives to the market and children to school. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
A Lion Air aircraft repair facility in Batam. Aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul is an emerging industry for which Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi is hoping for cooperation with Singapore. Air Mas village, an indigenous Orang Asli en
Ms Ramdia, from the Orang Asli village of Air Mas in Tanjung Sauh, knows all about the horrors of sea travel. She used to row a small boat like this for 45 minutes every day to go to school in Galang, a more developed island nearby. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
A Lion Air aircraft repair facility in Batam. Aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul is an emerging industry for which Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi is hoping for cooperation with Singapore. Air Mas village, an indigenous Orang Asli en
Residents in villages such as Air Mas still draw water from wells. Islanders say the proposed sea bridge will allow for safer and faster land travel, bring modern amenities and create jobs in growth industries such as digital tech and tourism. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
A Lion Air aircraft repair facility in Batam. Aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul is an emerging industry for which Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi is hoping for cooperation with Singapore. Air Mas village, an indigenous Orang Asli en
Barelang Bridge, which connects the islands of Batam, Rempang and Galang in Riau Islands province. Separately, the 7km sea bridge set to take shape next year will link Batam and Bintan and pass through Tanjung Sauh and Buau in between. When completed in three to four years, it will be Indonesia’s longest. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
A Lion Air aircraft repair facility in Batam. Aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul is an emerging industry for which Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi is hoping for cooperation with Singapore. Air Mas village, an indigenous Orang Asli en
Nuvasa Bay, a township development in Batam with an 18-hole international golf course. Plans are being made to turn the area into an integrated luxury residential and mixed-use development. It will become part of a 62ha “economy hub”. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
A Lion Air aircraft repair facility in Batam. Aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul is an emerging industry for which Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi is hoping for cooperation with Singapore. Air Mas village, an indigenous Orang Asli en
Mr Marco Bardelli, executive director of Nongsa Digital Park, which opened in March last year with the aim of being a “digital bridge” between Indonesia and Singapore. It now boasts 750 tech staff and 70 international and local firms. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Arlina Arshad Regional Correspondent and Kelvin Chng Photojournalist In Riau Islands
Updated
Mar 13, 2021, 10:06 PM
Published
Aug 13, 2019, 05:00 AM
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Batam and Bintan, the popular Indonesian resort islands near Singapore, are buzzing with new developments ranging from beachfront villas to a technology park, but in the surrounding smaller islands, time seems to have stood still.

Bearing nondescript names such as Tanjung Sauh, Buau and Ngenang, there are no buses, cars, hospitals or grocery stores in these places, not even the ubiquitous street carts selling cheap gorengan, or fried snacks.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 13, 2019, with the headline Sea change for Batam, Bintan and surrounding islands thanks to upcoming bridge. Subscribe

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