REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BATAM - Government plans to build Nipah Island, one of the islands in Riau Archipelago, as a model for the development of outer islands. This island has potency for defense, security, and economy sector.
"The development of Nipah Island is especially on defense supporting economy," the Minister of Defense, Purnomo Yusgiantoro, said.
The policy on the management of border and outer islands, he added, changed the paradigm, in which the areas were before only managed by defense sector. "This will increase national security," Purnomo said on Sunday.
He expects the development will present more advantage for country. He said, the ministry would support the road map or blue print of Nipah Island development which part of the economic region had been prepared by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. The Ministry of Defense asks a part of the island for defense and security regions.