This photo essay by our dear colleague Syukri Hidayatullah is published in his memory.
Syukri was a lecturer in law at Universitas Mulawarman in Indonesia and a PhD student in anthropology at the University of Amsterdam (UvA). As an early career researcher affiliated with the Eur-Asian Border Lab, he was in the middle of working on an innovative dissertation on diverse legal understandings of bordering in Sebatik Island (between Indonesia and Malaysia) when he suddenly and tragically passed away on 4 May 2024.
This photo essay and fieldwork ideas stem from his contribution to “House of Stories,” an event organised by Christina Kefala, Emily Ragus and Ashry Sallatu, PhD students at the UvA. The task was a simple one: submit a photo with some quick thoughts on the experience of doing ethnographic fieldwork. Syukri, with his characteristic enthusiasm, ended up sending ten photos along with a full essay.
We have chosen to publish this essay with no edits so that Syukri’s voice can shine through as much as possible. We hope that a wider audience can benefit from Syukri’s insights and scholarship, as well as his in-depth understandings of the realities and complexities of borderland life. Syukri’s curiosity about the world, his willingness to take on new challenges, and his open approach to fieldwork meant that he was able to understand – in great detail – how border policies and laws were formed and experienced in the Indonesian-Malayasian borderlands.
Chapter 1. From one to port to another, crossing the sea between the two islands
- Tarakan harbour – Photos 1 to 4
- Sebatik international port, a transformation to modern border-crossing point – Photos 5 to 7
- The life of two ports in Sebatik; Sadewa and Ajikuning – Photos 8 to 13
Port is a crucial arena in the lives of the Sebatik’s borderlanders. Notably, Sadewa port used to serve border-crossings to Tawau from 2005 to 2013. It was closed at the request of Malaysia, citing reasons related to their domestic security.
The border security post near the Sadewa port is manned by a naval unit that patrols up to the Indonesia-Malaysia maritime border in the Sebatik waters. Even though the port is closed, the Indonesian navy still keeps watch.
A different story in Ajikuning village, a village that historically developed by integrating residential areas, a jetty, and border security all at once. This is the boundary point where border pillars, border guard, and traditional jetty converge on a piece of land that shares border stories.
Not far from the border pillar, activities of loading and unloading goods can be seen at Ajikuning Jetty. Unfortunately, I didn’t get permission to cover it but the locals suggested taking pictures from the border house.
Throughout my coverage of this area, I was accompanied by the border security post commander, who is an integral part of the 90 soldiers in a company-level units.
Chapter 2 : Blindspot in the borderland: local economy and infrastructure
The economic life of Sebatik Island is supported by cross-border trade regulated in the bilateral Border Trade Agreement 2023. The provisions allow only the entry of daily necessities, exclusively exempted from import duties. As a result, mini-markets proliferate, selling everyday products. Due to saturation in the grocery market, as an alternative, Sebatik residents are venturing into new businesses that pose risks as they do not comply with the aforementioned bilateral agreement and violate national laws.
The state views the border as a neglected area, making development agendas such as the transboundary port a priority. However, the lack of basic infrastructure remains a tangible and overlooked challenge.
Fresh water supply is limited, as border inhabitans rely on rainwater stored in local dam and water tanks. The arrival of the dry season poses a major problem. Without rainwater, the dry reservoirs cannot supply fresh water, forcing residents to buy it from wells that belong to those who have aquifer reserves from their properties.
Conclusion
The role of the state in the Sebatik border area is represented by important development agendas, such as the integrated transboundary port, aimed at facilitating transnational mobility and thus sparking pockets of economic growth. For the border inhabitants, crossing to the neighboring country has been a long-standing practice since Sebatik island evolved into a transit area for Indonesian migrant workers starting in the 1970s. After retirement, some of them decided to settle and contribute to Sebatik’s development without having to sever ties with fellow former migrant workers who chose to live in Tawau. This kinship relation has endured, with regular visits through the traditional jetty in the village of Ajikuning.
Living in an area fraught with the stigma of being underdeveloped does not diminish the creativity of the borderlanders. Still relying on kinship networks, the second-hand clothing business has grown organically and spontaneously, without being dictated by government campaigns against the thrifting business. The center-periphery relationship does not align smoothly in an area that is only seen by the state as its territory, but overlooks its people.
PhD project: The Sebatik borderland among development, security and trade
Ethnography fieldwork : Nov 2023- October 2024
All photo taken by author, otherwise will be mentioned
