Batam celebrates 180th anniversary

BATAM: Batam celebrated its 180th anniversary on Friday after the city's legislative council decided on the date for the celebrations in a plenary session held last year.

"After tracing the history through seminars and studies, we discovered there was an administration in the area 180 years ago," said Batam Mayor Ahmad Dahlan.

Historian Aswandi Syahri said the date of Batam's birthday was based on the "transfer of power" from Dutch Lt. Col Cornelis P.J. Elout to King Isa over Nongsa (the former name of Batam) on Dec. 18, 1829.

"One of the documents in the national archives in Jakarta stated that King Isa was given power to rule Nongsa," Aswandi told The Jakarta Post. - JP