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RI to tighten security on new border with Singapore
Indonesia announced Tuesday it plans to build a military post on Nipah Island, part of Indonesia’s most outer territory, after recently announcing the island would expand its border region with neighboring Singapore
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ndonesia announced Tuesday it plans to build a military post on Nipah Island, part of Indonesia’s most outer territory, after recently announcing the island would expand its border region with neighboring Singapore.
President Susilo Bambang Yu-dhoyono has instructed his Cabinet ministers to prepare the “blue print” for defensive and economic developments on the island, the northern part of which borders Singapore’s Sultan Shoal Island.
The western area between the two islands was added to the Indonesia-Singapore border recently, expanding the central boundary established in 1973.
Foreign Minister Hassan Wira-yuda will meet with his Singaporean counterpart later this month to sign the agreement over the new border area, with negotiations over the final eastern section expected to quickly follow. Presidential spokesman
Andi Mallarangeng told reporters after a
Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace that the president
had ordered his ministers to draw up a comprehensive plan on the
development of Nipah Island, which is “strategic” to Indonesia both economically and geopolitically.
“There will be a Navy post on the island,and we are currently preparing the development of infrastructure and economic expansion in the area,” Andi said.
He added that for the purpose of ongoing development, the Indonesian government had been reclaiming the shoreline of the island in recent years.
Like with the economic development of the Riau Islands’, Nipah
will be integrated into the development of the inter-provincial Batam, Bintan and Karimun free trade zones as well as the development of the Sijori (Singapore, Malaysia’s Johor and Indonesia’s Riau Islands) Growth Triangle. The latter partnership was agreed upon by the
three countries in the hope the subregion would become more attractive to regional and international investors.
“We want to anticipate future growth and get the most from the Sijori Growth Triangle while strengthening the most outer points of our nation,” Andi said.
Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said the “blue print” for the multi-sector development of Nipah Island was being prepared by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo AS and Coordinating Minister for the Economy Sri Mulyani Indrawati.
He said the plan would outline the duties and financing required by each ministry.
“The preparations will probably focus on the shipping and tourism industries, or the traffic systems monitoring merchant vessels,” Juwono said. He added that with the expansion of trade in the area, they also anticipated a major increase in boats and trade vessels traveling through the area.
