Aceh has many opportunities in providing sea port services for both export and import commodities.

 

ACEH has been moving forward along with the pouring financial aids amounting hundreds of million Dollars. After December 26, 2004 tragedy, the “consortium” of foreign donators gave quick responses. Less than eight months after the disaster, the long-term-disputing parties, the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and Indonesia Government (GoI) signed a peace agreement on August 16, 2005.

 

Having been shattered by arm conflicts for years, pillars of social and economy in Aceh have also been weakened. The earthquake and tsunami 2004 has even worsened the condition. The disaster which took hundred thousands of lives became a turning point. Aceh is now rising up again through rehabilitation and reconstruction processes.

 

However, marine affairs have received little attention in rehabilitation and reconstruction processes in Aceh. Aceh, which was known as Samudra Pasai used to be a country whose economic power was highly respected through its maritime trade. Gold and spices became the main trading commodities and Aceh was very successful during its golden era.

 

Even though the historical records did not prove that Samudra Pasai had strong marine fleets as its successor Aceh Darussalam under Sultan Iskandar Muda did, the history indeed noted clearly that Perlak (Peureulak) used to be a big sea port, just like present time Singapore. Aceh geographical position which faces Pacific Ocean and South China Sea is very strategic, located at the end of the busiest straits in the world, Malacca strait.

 

Presently, Aceh seems to be only busy with land based development. Even building infrastructure on the land is very important, marine-based development needs to be commenced as well. Marine development is now still being focused on repairing small fishing vessels which have weaker power. These vessels will not be appropriate to break the big waves and strong streams of Pacific Ocean and South China Sea. Focusing only on small fishing vessels will not help increase fishermen’s income and they will still be under poverty. Ideally, along with modernization advancement, it is time for local fishermen to use sophisticated fishing gears (of which appropriately chosen from those which do not ruin the sea ecosystems). Due to this slow “modernization response”, Aceh’s marine resources have been being stolen by foreign fishermen who use more sophisticated fishing gears.

 

Even it still seems difficult to attain and it will cost a lot of money to build marine industry along with trading vessel fleets, sea port industry should be Irwandi’s administration focus. 

 

Aceh has most valuable natural potentials. Sabang (Weh) Island, for instance, will be an efficient sea port if it is maintained appropriately because the island’s topography and its water depth are very adequate for sea ports. Furthermore, rarely does the sea shallow due to sedimentation occur in Sabang so that the maintenance cost will be cheap.

 

Singapore has proven itself as one of the busiest ports in the modern world, and Tanjung Pelepas, in Malaysia, has followed Singapore. Aceh has potentials that are no inferior to Singapore and Tanjung Pelepas because physically Aceh has all potentials to be a big sea port. The main homework that should be carried out is building marine infrastructure and human resources. Human resources are determining factors because natural resources will not mean anything if they are not managed well and professionally by well-trained human resources.

 

In this 21^st century, the size of vessels is getting bigger. In Indonesian territory, there is not even a single port that is able to accommodate these giant trading vessels. Tanjung Priok of Jakarta as the main port in Indonesia is not capable of accommodating vessels whose dead weight is more than 100.000 tons. Consequently, all import commodities have to be unloaded in Singaporean sea ports and reloaded onto small vessels for distributions throughout Indonesia. Likewise, export commodities also have to be transported with small vessel to Singapore or Tanjung Pelepas before they are exported to international markets.

 

Aceh has big opportunities to be a place that provides port services either for export or import commodities.  In order to be a “service city”, Aceh will have to be open as a melting pot, where various cultures, languages, religion and different human behaviors will mingle. There is no country in this present world is able to live alone and isolated from regional or international relations.

 

Technology development has to be a priority because today’s modern vessels need to be handled by modern ports along with modern equipment in order to be efficient, fast, accurate, and safe. 

 

The fact, in shipping industry, is that poor people own the vessels and rich people serve these vessel owners. This fact is not a myth; let’s have a look at rich cities such as Singapore, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg, Frankfurt, New York, Yokohama, Ulsan, Busan, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Xiamen. These cities are port cities and have amazing economy levels.

 

Aceh young generations have to be directed to not only love “land” and its water but also “sea” and its water. We hope that Sultan Malik Al Saleh’s pioneer spirits in trading become the inspirations for the newly elect Aceh leaders, Irwandi Yusuf – Muhammad Nazar. (translated by FZ)