Outer Island Development in Crossborder Cooperation Framework: Cooperation or Exploitation? (Study Case: Natuna Island in Singapore – Johor-Riau Cooperation)

Abstract

The development of the outer islands has not been widely discussed in literatures. As a peripheral area, its location which are remote and intersects with border areas of other countries caused the form of development to be different from the development in the mainland. One form of development on the outer island can be linked with cross-border cooperation. This study argued that based on the Natuna Island’s case study, trans-border development through cooperation between countries is a promising form for the development on the outer islands. But exploitation will occur if the government does not guard the process of development of the outer islands in the trans-border cooperation. The flow of goods that are not accommodated with appropriate access can make the outer islands being only as suppliers of goods that are not recognized by formal data. It caused their existence not being considered important in the cooperation between countries.