PUBLISHED ONAugust 17, 2026 3:15 AMUPDATEDAugust 17, 2026 5:09 AMBYSean LerJust 13km apart across the Singapore Strait, Singapore and Batam see about 200,000 travellers of various nationalities make the journey between them each month.
It therefore comes as no surprise that the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority's (ICA) Coastal Command shares a close working relationship with its counterparts in Batam.
On Monday (Aug 17), which coincides with Indonesia's 81st Independence Day, an ICA delegation led by Coastal Command commander Assistant Commissioner Phua Chiew Hua paid a courtesy visit to their counterpart at the Batam Centre Terminal.
In a Facebook post on the same morning, ICA said that the exchange of gifts reflects the strong partnership and mutual trust between their two agencies as they work together to safeguard borders and enhance maritime security.
"Through close collaboration, we remain committed to facilitating safe, secure and seamless travel through our coastal checkpoints," ICA added.
The two countries will mark 60 years of diplomatic relations next year.
At the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders Retreat on July 6, Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that the two countries are trusted partners with a shared stake in one another.
"Our partnership is deep. It's forward looking and full of potential, and together we can create more opportunities than either of us could achieve alone," he said.
The two leaders witnessed the exchange of 18 agreements spanning areas such as carbon credits collaboration, defence cooperation, and energy collaboration.
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