PULAU SEBATIK: KAWASAN PERBATASAN INDONESIA BERAROMA MALAYSIA
ABSTRACT: This article is
based on a field research conducted in September 2011. The island of Sebatik
belongs to two countries: Indonesia and Malaysia. The southern part of Sebatik
is owned Indonesia and the northern is owned by Malaysia. Sebatik island is
located between Nunukan, the capital of Nunukan District in Indonesia and
Tawau, the capital of Tawau District in Malaysia. Indonesia's Sebatik is not a
business center but its population is growing rapidly. Most of the inhabitants
are migrants who came from many places in Indonesia, mainly from South
Sulawesi.
As a place that is very close to Tawau, a business center in Sarawak,
Malaysia, the dynamic of Indonesian Sebatik economy is very dependent on
economic conditions in Tawau. Many goods that are consumed by Indonesian
Sebatik inhabitants, such as canned food and and drinks, electronic goods, and
gas are imported from Tawau, The products come into Sebatik under border trade
agreement through an MOU signed by Indonesian and Malaysian governments in
1967. In addition, the use of the Malaysia ringgit currency as a means of transactions
has made the economy in Indonesian Sebatik smelt Malaysia. This article seeks
to explore the dynamics of economic conditions in Sebatik as a border area, its
economic potentials, the use of dual money currency, and finally what will
happen to Sebatik's economy without Tawau.
Penulis: Robert Siburian
Kode Jurnal: jpantropologidd120081
