In the Shadow of Singapore:
The Limits of Transnationalism in Insular Riau
"If combined, Singapore and parts of Indonesia, such as the Riau Islands, can actually be more competitive than many coastal cities in China " (George Yeo, Singaporean Minister for Trade and Industry, 29 January 2003)
"Batam is practically nothing without Singapore" (Syamsul Bahrum, Head of Batam Municipality Development Section, August 2003)
In the Shadow of Singapore is a research project that aims to examine how understandings of national identity and the 'nation' are constructed and negotiated by individuals who live and work on the Riau islands of Batam and Bintan, which form the 'borderlands' between Singapore and Indonesia. Our interest is in the ways in which those who live within the border zone, as well as those who cross the border for work and/or pleasure, engage in the dual processes of reconstructing the boundaries of the nation-state and establishing their own sense of national identity and belonging. Funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) for three years (2005-2007) this research project contributes to the broader scholarly project of understanding nation-building processes in Singapore and Indonesia by problematising the relationship between citizenship, nationality and sovereignty.
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