Watch Dog Reports Illegal Oil Waste Disposal from Singapore in Batam Waters

TheIndonesia.co - The Coordinator of the Indonesian Anti-Corruption Society (MAKI) Boyamin Saiman revealed the illegal business of dumping oil sludge by ship from Singapore to Batam waters, Riau Islands Province. Saiman when conducting an investigation in the waters bordering Singapore and Batam, Thursday, revealed that he found one foreign ship with a large capacity suspected of carrying toxic waste and then transferred it to a dozen ships from Indonesia to be taken to Batam.

He suspects that there is a company in Batam that collects the waste. He stated that he will report the company to the relevant ministries and law enforcement officials because the activity is suspected to be illegal.

"Behind me is a large ship carrying oil sludge. The waste is then transferred to small vessels to be disposed of in Batam," he said as reported by Antara, Thursday, August 11, 2022.

He suspects that some of the waste from the small ships from Indonesia was dumped in the former mines. Others were allegedly dumped into Batam waters using sacks. "This is a serious issue, which we have reported to the Ministry of Politics, Law and Human Rights and the Ministry of the Environment for further action," he said.

Saiman said that this act of toxic waste disposing to parts of the Riau Islands is not a recent occurrence. He suspects it has occurred many years ago, so the public often finds oil waste on the coast of Batam, even in the waters of Bintan.

"Last year, the Ministry of Environment managed to catch a ship carrying waste oil. A few months ago, the parties involved were convicted by the Batam District Court," he said.

Saiman said that the disposal of waste oil sludge in Batam and other areas in the Riau Islands is detrimental to the environment. Not only destroying habitats in the waters but also disrupting the tourism sector due to oil waste entering the tourism area.

"Of course, the fisheries sector and the tourism business will be disrupted (too)," he said.

He hopes that this waste disposal business will soon be terminated at its roots so that it does not happen again in the future. "We hope that the findings this time produce policies that can stop illegal activities that are detrimental to the state and society," he said.