The Riau Islands were part of Riau Province from 1957, but on 1 July 2004 they officially became a distinct province of Indonesia. The Riau Islands consist of 1,350 islands, which are divided into four regencies (Kepulauan Riau, Natuna, Karimun and Lingga) and two cities (Batam and Tanjung Pinang). They are strategically located close to the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (Dewan Maritim Indonesia 2007a, p. 26). The Riau Islands are located at the border between Indonesia and Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia. Around ninety-six per cent of the territory of the province consists of waterways (ibid., p. 26). Thus, ports play a crucial role in the economic development of the Riau Islands. Ports are the gateways for inter-island trade within the Riau Islands and a point of interaction that links this province and other parts of Indonesia. The ports of the Riau Islands also serve as trading hubs that connect Indonesia with Malaysia and Singapore. Export and import activities take place at nearly every port in this province (ibid., p. 56).

The large number of ports and outlying islands in the Riau Islands has posed enormous challenges for the Indonesian government to monitor and secure the transport of goods and people coming in and out of the province. Areas within and around the ports are rampant with criminal activities. These include smuggling, human trafficking, illegal logging, illegal fishing, and armed robbery against ships. The government authorities have involved preman organization to secure the ports and outlying islands in this province.

This chapter will explain the role of preman organizations in the Riau Islands, focusing primarily on Batam, the largest port city in this province, and Tanjung Pinang, the capital city of this province. The chapter comprises four parts. The first part will outline the competing preman organizations in the Riau Islands and explain their cooperation with government authorities to guard ports and outlying islands. The second part will examine conflicts between preman organizations and government authorities. This section will also analyse the reasons underpinning the tensions between preman organizations, the government and society. The third part of this chapter will account for the participation of preman organizations both in support of illicit activities and in efforts to address them. Finally, the conclusion of the chapter points to the ambiguous role of preman organizations in port security.