{"id":93,"date":"2017-01-30T03:59:56","date_gmt":"2017-01-30T03:59:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/?p=93"},"modified":"2025-10-23T15:00:03","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T15:00:03","slug":"reading-indonesia-through-the-lens-of-batam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/?p=93","title":{"rendered":"Reading Indonesia Through the Lens of Batam"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Reading Indonesia Through the Lens of Batam<\/span><\/h4>\n

The vibrant development of Batam today is the result of nearly four decades of relentless transformation. Unlike organically grown cities, Batam underwent a rapid metamorphosis from an authentic fishing village into the foundation of a modern, futuristic metropolis. Strategically positioned along the busiest shipping route in the Singapore Strait, Batam has long been blessed with an unparalleled geographic advantage.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, development driven solely by the mechanisms of neo-capitalism has produced paradoxes and contradictions. Social inequalities have surged in tandem with the population boom. While economic growth skyrocketed, social equity struggled to keep pace. This widening gap between the affluent elite and the marginalized has fueled competition and contention, where the victors are predictably the capitalists.<\/span><\/p>\n

With unrivaled financial leverage, the wealthy seize anything of economic value\u2014often with the Indonesian government rolling out the red carpet for them. Meanwhile, the marginalized, local residents, and working-class communities, who serve as the very gears that drive industrialization, are pushed aside and ruthlessly exploited.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ade P. Nasution\u2014whom I dare say leans somewhat to the left\u2014brilliantly showcases his intellectual prowess through bold and incisive essays in this book. To fully understand Indonesia\u2019s development model, which adheres to the doctrine of free-market economics, one must analyze it from a critical, alternative perspective. While ideologies such as socialism, Marxism, Leninism, and communism have been heavily stigmatized, they remain vital tools in the dialectical pursuit of social justice, continuously challenging the excesses of neoliberal thought until a more equitable balance is achieved.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nasution methodically dissects various economic schools of thought\u2014from Classical Mercantilism and Neoclassical Economics to Marxist, Keynesian, and Islamic Economic Concepts\u2014as frameworks for evaluating Indonesia\u2019s national development policies.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet, this book is not merely a critique. The author presents pragmatic solutions, urging stakeholders and policymakers to pave the way for micro-enterprises and cooperatives, which embody Indonesia\u2019s deeply rooted spirit of mutual cooperation (gotong royong). A refined and pragmatic approach to People\u2019s Economy (Ekonomi Kerakyatan)\u2014one that integrates traditional economic values with modern frameworks\u2014is the peaceful path forward in building a more prosperous and equitable Indonesia.<\/span><\/p>\n

Batam serves as a microcosm of Indonesia\u2019s economic landscape\u2014a city that reflects the nation\u2019s broader struggles and aspirations. Through the insightful and thought-provoking essays in this book\u2014complemented by my own contributions, which align with the author\u2019s analytical approach and linguistic style\u2014I hope this work serves as a valuable reference for Indonesia\u2019s ongoing economic discourse, both at the national level and within Batam itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Welcome to the opening pages of a compelling and intellectually enriching book. ~<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

EDITOR’S NOTE: Muhammad Natsir Tahar<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading Indonesia Through the Lens of Batam The vibrant development of Batam today is the result of nearly four decades of relentless transformation. Unlike organically grown cities, Batam underwent a rapid metamorphosis from an authentic fishing village into the foundation…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":94,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[9],"tags":[19,13,12,17,15,16,18],"class_list":["post-93","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books","tag-digital-creator","tag-focus-publishing-intermedia","tag-muhammad-natsir-tahar","tag-pembuatan-website","tag-penerbit-buku","tag-penerbit-buku-batam-dan-kepri","tag-penerbit-nasional"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Membaca-Indonesia-dari-Kacamata-Batam.jpg?fit=640%2C448&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":276,"url":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/?p=276","url_meta":{"origin":93,"position":0},"title":"Traditional Malay Attire of Batam","author":"Octo","date":"November 5, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Traditional Malay Attire of Batam ISBN: 978-602-61219-0-5 Author: Datok Drs. H. Nyat Kadir Publisher: Focus Publishing Intermedia As Batam evolves into a multicultural hub, the essence of its deep-rooted Malay heritage must be preserved amidst the waves of globalization. Traditional Malay Attire of Batam serves as a vital cultural record,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Books"","block_context":{"text":"Books","link":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1760150071.jpg?fit=1200%2C1106&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1760150071.jpg?fit=1200%2C1106&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1760150071.jpg?fit=1200%2C1106&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1760150071.jpg?fit=1200%2C1106&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1760150071.jpg?fit=1200%2C1106&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44,"url":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/?p=44","url_meta":{"origin":93,"position":1},"title":"About Us","author":"Octo","date":"March 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Your Global Partner Focus Publishing Intermedia \u2013 Your Global Partner in Publishing, Digital Innovation, and Remarkable Creative Media At Focus Publishing Intermedia, we redefine the publishing and digital media landscape by integrating advanced technology, and cutting-edge creative strategies. Our expertise spans professional writing services, book publishing, digital business solutions, website\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Company Profile"","block_context":{"text":"Company Profile","link":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/hero-5-img-1.png?fit=725%2C635&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/hero-5-img-1.png?fit=725%2C635&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/hero-5-img-1.png?fit=725%2C635&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/hero-5-img-1.png?fit=725%2C635&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":175,"url":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/?p=175","url_meta":{"origin":93,"position":2},"title":"Jefridin Hamid: Sang Visioner","author":"Octo","date":"April 30, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Jefridin Hamid: Sang Visioner Author: Muhammad Natsir Tahar, Edi Sutrisno ISBN: 978-602-61219-8-1 Publisher: Focus Publishing Intermedia This biography offers a compelling insight into the life of Jefridin Hamid, a meticulous perfectionist, linguist, and accomplished bureaucrat who served as the Secretary of the Batam City Government. His life story is a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Books"","block_context":{"text":"Books","link":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/1768201642.png?fit=1200%2C1106&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/1768201642.png?fit=1200%2C1106&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/1768201642.png?fit=1200%2C1106&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/1768201642.png?fit=1200%2C1106&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/1768201642.png?fit=1200%2C1106&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":824,"url":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/?p=824","url_meta":{"origin":93,"position":3},"title":"Bakti untuk Negeri: Dari Nelayan ke Parlemen","author":"Octo","date":"March 19, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Bakti untuk Negeri: Dari Nelayan ke Parlemen (Biografi Muhamad Yunus, S.Pi., M.M.) Author: Muhammad Natsir Tahar ISBN:\u00a0 Pages: 300 (xii + 298) pages Publisher:\u00a0Focus Publishing Intermedia Terbit:\u00a0April 2026 Buku ini adalah biografi inspiratif tentang perjalanan hidup Muhammad Yunus, S.Pi., M.M., seorang anak nelayan keturunan Bugis-Selayar yang lahir dan besar di\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Books"","block_context":{"text":"Books","link":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MOCK-UP.jpg?fit=1200%2C1106&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MOCK-UP.jpg?fit=1200%2C1106&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MOCK-UP.jpg?fit=1200%2C1106&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MOCK-UP.jpg?fit=1200%2C1106&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MOCK-UP.jpg?fit=1200%2C1106&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":74,"url":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/?p=74","url_meta":{"origin":93,"position":4},"title":"Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Digital Innovation Strategist","author":"Octo","date":"March 22, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Liyana Rose \u2013 Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Digital Innovation Strategist Liyana Pinklet is a visionary Chief Technology Officer (CTO) specializing in digital transformation, software development, and emerging technologies. With a strong background in computer science, artificial intelligence, and business technology management, she plays a key role in driving cutting-edge\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Digital Innovation Strategist"","block_context":{"text":"Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Digital Innovation Strategist","link":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/?cat=8"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Focus-Tim-Rose-.png?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Focus-Tim-Rose-.png?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Focus-Tim-Rose-.png?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Focus-Tim-Rose-.png?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Focus-Tim-Rose-.png?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":118,"url":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/?p=118","url_meta":{"origin":93,"position":5},"title":"PRESS LAW AS LEX SPECIALIS","author":"Octo","date":"September 30, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"PRESS LAW AS LEX SPECIALIS Author: Dr. Irpan Husein Lubis, SH,MH ISBN: 978-602-61219-6-7 Publication Year: September 2022 Paper Size: 14.8 x 21 cm Paper Type: Bookpaper BOOK DESCRIPTION The discourse on the press, law, and human rights has always been an engaging topic. These three major themes have been widely\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Books"","block_context":{"text":"Books","link":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/1760155951.jpg?fit=1200%2C1106&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/1760155951.jpg?fit=1200%2C1106&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/1760155951.jpg?fit=1200%2C1106&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/1760155951.jpg?fit=1200%2C1106&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/focuspublisher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/1760155951.jpg?fit=1200%2C1106&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=93"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":716,"href":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93\/revisions\/716"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/94"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=93"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=93"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focuspublisher.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=93"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}