Cooperative Development in Batam

We are facing bad economy situation in present condition. As we know that mostly people in Batam work in industrial as employee. The high cost of life in Batam make people do a thrift for their income to survive in Batam. There are many activities done by employees to increase the welfare, even demonstrations to demand the increase of minimum wages in the same level with proper life needs.
While employees also start to develop cooperative (economic enterprise) to support to increase the welfare from non-wages side.
Cooperative is a legal organization formed by many people with same purpose, to improve member’s prosperity. So the cooperative works as economy, social and educational organization. Cooperative is registered in Cooperative Department in Government.
There are many cooperatives formed by employees in many companies or government installations as primer cooperative. Some cooperatives join to form secondary cooperative for business expanding of each primer cooperative.
Unfortunately the knowledge about cooperative is not known well by some management from some companies. That’s the reason sometimes employee’s cooperative get difficulty to expand the business, even in company area.
There is an example of an employee’s cooperative which has grown so fast. It is KSM (Koperasi Sejahtera Mandiri), a cooperative formed by employees of Panasonic Companies Group in Batam. The main businesses of KSM are catering, minimarket, bakery shop and loan-saving for members with turnover Rp. 3 billions per month. The KSM had ever got an appreciation from President of Indonesia, Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as one of national cooperatives with good performance on year 2007. Batam also should be proud of the achievement of KSM.

Masjid Raya Batam

Batam has the biggest masjid, it called Masjid Raya Batam. Because it's big, the masjid is also to become Islamic center. The activities related with Islam are done in the masjid.
We can find library where we can find many Islamic books here. If we want to register Halal certificate, there is also the MUI office which serve on it. Usually the restaurant, catering or home industry of food register Halal certificate here.
Mini market is also available to fulfill the requirements of muslims when they visit Masjid Raya. They sell snacks, soft drinks and medicines. There also sell the needs as kopyah or songkok (muslim's hat), mukena (woman's cloth for shalat or praying), sajadah (prayer rug), jilbab and koko cloth (male muslim's cloth).
The activities related with Islam is also executed in Masjid Raya such as Al-Qur'an reading course, course to make a harmony's family in Islam corridor (sakinah family course) and so on. The building of Masjid Raya Batam has taken billion rupiahs to be fame masjid in Batam. It become the icon of Batam to show that muslims in Batam are loyal to be religious.

Kek Pisang Villa Batam

Last 3 years ago my friend, Denni Delyandri resigned from a company where we worked together. He tried to be a business man because he did not like to be a person who just received the instruction from another person. He had a dream to be a person who has own business.
First business he made an event organizer. He organized many events like seminars of entrepreneur. Usually he made cooperation with the organizations in companies or installations like government to make events.
At the same time he and his wife also started to make home industry to sell banana cake. He introduced their product with brand Villa, as the name of house complex where they lived.
More they focused in their home industry, more the business grew. The business become one of icon for guests or tourists to get a gift brought back from the trip in Batam.
They have motto: "Batam ya kek pisang Villa."
It means when people remember Batam, kek pisang (banana cake) Villa will be in their mind.
Well, kek pisang Villa also support Visit Batam 2010.
You can visit their website: www.kekpisangvilla.com

Batam and My Friends

When my friend, Anwar Annas ended his contract from a company where he worked, we hanged out together my friends because he wanted to see Barelang Bridges for last. He worried he would not see Barelang Bridges again when he stayed in Java. So we went to Barelang Bridges. The famous bridge is 1st Bridge (jembatan satu) because it’s the biggest from the others.
Barelang bridges connect small islands with Batam island.It made villages in small islands not isolated, slowly the islands build the civilization.
On Saturday, Sunday or off days many people come to 1st Bridge to spend the time with friends or family for refreshing their minds. The bridge is beautiful when sunrise and sunset times. So for sure in the morning and afternoon it would be crowded here.
Bridge 1 become the icon of Batam, you can see the bridge picture in Batam logo. It is because the design of Batam is unique.
The main incomes of people who lives across the bridges are from farming and fishing. We can see fruits gardens such as mangoes, dragon fruit and so on.
We also went to Melur Beach. Playing around the beach and eating dragon fruit with Anwar Annas and my friends will always be my unforgettable experience.
Melur Beach is a beach from one of outer islands near Batam Island. We must pass thru 5 bridges to reach the beach. We can swim and fish here. With white sands spread beauty, it becomes a nice place to spend time with family and frinds.
Dragon fruit is one of mainstay commodity of Batam. Fruit with rich of vitamin C is a famous fruit which is exported to neighbor countries, such as Singapore, Malaysia, and so on. Many people likes dragon fruit from Batam because of good quality. So after going to Melur Beach, we spend our time by eating dragon fruit. We enjoyed it on 5th Bridge.
Now Warsono and Anwar Annas, my friends who spent time together on that day has decided to leave Batam, but the moments will never be forgotten, although we live far apart.

Nasyid Suara Kita-Kita (S2K) Batam

There are many people with many characters, many cultures and many languages. And by music, we can ignore the differences. Music is an universal language which everybody understand. Nasyid is a part of music. The lyric of nasyid is about Islam. There are many advices in the lyric of nasyid.
Nasyid grows fast in Batam. There are many groups of nasyid in Batam. Even one of nasyid group got first place in Festival Nasyid Nusantara 2009 at Johor, Malaysia that is held on April 10th - 13th, 2009. It's a good achievement done by Nasyid S2K (Suara Kita-Kita), the name of the nasyid group. It makes Batam people are proud of them because it also can make Batam known by other countries and support Visit Batam 2010.
Nasyid S2K Batam is a group of nasyid formed by Ustadz Muhammad Candra. The personnel of S2K are Junaidi (lead vocal), Bayu (tenor voice, 3rd voice), Rudy (baritone voice, 2nd voice), Raja Endi (lead vocal, bass voice) and Otis (keyboard player). The harmony of voice is their characteristic. They played kind of music for nasyid, such as: reggae, pop, malay, ballads and rock.
Go S2K! We are very proud of you.

Batam in Juan Carlos Perspective

Batam Island is one of islands in archipelago of Indonesia. This small island is near Singapore, and it takes more than an hour to go Singapore from Batam Island by ferry boat. The geographic of Batam makes it having more benefits because it’s passed by trade route.
Batam is also known as industrial city. There are many local, national and international industries developed in Batam Island. The industrial activity make many investors from other countries put the investments in Batam, and make Batam Island grows as one of big city in Indonesia.
Beside that, Batam also has potential to interest in tourism. There are many places in Batam can be tour objects, such as: Barelang Bridge, Ex Vietnam Camp, beautiful beaches and historical places.
We can also get culinary tour in Batam, because there are many restaurants which serve sea food, as one of most favorite food in Batam.
My friend, Juan Carlos Leiva Amoros, from Peru has ever visited Batam 2 years ago. I took him to Nongsa Beach and Bridge Barelang, the bridge connecting small islands with Batam Island. He is a professional photographer and has ever made an international photography exhibition in Lima, Peru.
In his hand we can figure out the exotic sides of Batam. Nongsa Beach is one of some chooses for people who live in Batam for refreshing the mind from daily activities. Juan can show to us the other side of Nongsa Beach. We use small boat which is called pompong boat by people here to smaller island, Putri Island.
When Juan Carlos got a call from his friend by cellular phone, he said:”My friend took me in a middle of nowhere. I mean it’s beautiful beach I never seen before.”
He believes Batam can be potential charm for tourism. He’s in a middle of nowhere means he is in a place where many people have not known it yet.
It needs promotion to let everybody know. And it needs more attention from government, so let us support government to reach the goal, Batam Visit 2010.