Mistake Led to Pulau Manis Issue: Jakarta

Jakarta, 25 Sya’ban 1437/02 June 2016 (MINA) – Indonesia said on Wednesday (June 1) that a recent row over its Pulau Manis islets has been resolved, after a map blunder by a developer led some Indonesian politicians to wrongly suggest that Singapore was claiming the cluster of six small islands near Batam.

At a press conference, Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir played down the row, saying it was due to a mistake by the group Funtasy Island Development, which is building an eco-park on the islets.

“The issue has basically been resolved,” said Mr Nasir. “The mistake has been corrected.”

The company had uploaded a map of its Funtasy Island project showing it and Singapore both in blue. It has since changed the colour of the islets to red on the website map, one of the colours of the Indonesian flag.

By then, the Indonesian military had dispatched a unit from a local base to place the country’s flag on the highest point of one of the islands to assert sovereignty, news agencies were quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

The issue also prompted strong reactions from some Indonesian politicians, with parliament speaker Ade Komaruddin telling local media that “our sovereignty must be upheld”.

“I think the Foreign Ministry clearly should be proactive, and the Defence Ministry, the military and Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs should coordinate well (on this issue),” he was quoted as saying.

Indonesian media reports quoted local tourism chief Guntur Sakti as saying he had sent a warning to Singapore over the map, while vice-chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly of Indonesia, Dr Hidayat Nur Wahid, was reported as saying that Pulau Manis is being claimed by “other parties” in an “unpleasant way”, referring to Singapore.

VP disbelief Singapore brave enough to claim

When asked about the issue, Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla was quoted by Tribunnews as saying that he was unaware of the alleged claim, adding that he did not believe that Singapore was brave enough to claim Indonesian territory. “It’s not possible … (and) won’t be so easy to claim,”

Mr Kalla was quoted as saying. “(But) if it is the case that our island is being claimed … we must protest.”

On Tuesday night, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was “deeply puzzled” by the reports. “Singapore has never disputed Indonesia’s sovereignty over Pulau Manis and does not lay claim to the island,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Funtasy Island Development said on Wednesday the map was intended to show the location of the resort and its distance from Singapore. “We have no intention to declare or imply that it belongs to Singapore,” it added.

Mr Nasir sought on Wednesday to put a positive spin in bookending the episode.

“As a result of this (diplomatic) storm, the Batam district military has shifted the (Indonesian) flag to higher ground. (The issue of) Pulau Manis has ended sweetly. Of course, it stemmed from a misunderstanding – a wrong marketing strategy,” said Mr Nasir, who expressed hope that even more tourists would visit the island after this.

Pulau Manis — now known as Funtasy Island — is being developed into what has been billed as the world’s largest eco-park resort after being acquired by Batam-based developer PT Batam Island Marina 20 years ago.

The 328ha development featuring dolphin lagoon villas, a theme park and beach club will be accessible only via ferry service from Singapore — some 16km away — its developer Funtasy Island Development said last year. (T/R07/R01/R04)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)