Thinking outside the triangle: collusion and rivalry between transnational corporations and the state in Batam, Indonesia

The Singapore government unveiled a regionalization program in 1989 popularly known as the Singapore-Johor-Riau (SIJORI) Growth Triangle. The regionalization program brought about the rapid industrialization of Batam, Indonesia with the ardent support of government bodies in Singapore and Indonesia, as well as transnational corporations relocating labor intensive operations. This thesis examines how the relationship between transnational corporation managers and the state has shifted between collusion and rivalry since the unveiling of the SIJORI Growth Triangle. Interactions with government representatives and case studies of two transnational corporations currently operating in Singapore and Batam are used to evaluate the current relationship between transnational corporations and the state, as well as identify emerging trends in Batam’s state-firm relations.