Former Indonesian president Habibie hopes seafront flats in Batam mega city will lure Singapore’s cashed-up buyers
- Meisterstadt Batam, meaning ‘master city’ in German, is the brainchild of former leader B.J. Habibie
- Habibie wants to transform this tiny corner of the Riau Archipelago and revive the island’s economy
The four glass skyscrapers that have sprouted on the Indonesian island of Batam, a 45-minute ferry ride away from Singapore, are only the start of a billion-dollar plan to attract visitors, investors and property buyers.
Coming up next are a 100-storey financial centre, a mega mall, four more high-rise condominium buildings, a five-star hotel, hospital and university.
Singaporeans are a prime target. They already go there for golf, shopping, massage and eating out at a fraction of the cost at home.
Habibie, who led Indonesia from 1998 to 1999 and once famously said Singapore was no more than a “little red dot”, is now wooing Singaporeans to his ambitious project.
He hopes they will visit Batam instead of Johor. Malaysia’s southernmost state attracts Singaporeans by the thousands daily, and especially on weekends and public holidays, thanks to a favourable exchange rate.