KUNDUR -- PT TIMAH (Persero) Tbk's presence within local communities extends beyond mining operations. The company is also committed to creating social and economic impacts through community empowerment and the development of local businesses.
One example of this commitment is the company's support for Rumah Batik Kundur, a community-based business group that is developing a distinctive regional batik tradition as both a cultural identity and a new economic opportunity for the local community.
PT TIMAH's Director of Human Resources, Ratih Mayasari, visited Rumah Batik Kundur on Kundur Island, Karimun Regency, Riau Islands Province, and held discussions directly with PT TIMAH-assisted MSME members involved in batik production.
Ratih said that the establishment of Rumah Batik Kundur reflects the company's efforts to encourage the emergence of new entrepreneurs in the creative economy sector.
"I appreciate the team that has helped facilitate the creation of a new MSME engaged in producing Kundur's signature batik. This demonstrates that a mining company is present not only to manage natural resources but also to help build civilization," Ratih said.
According to Ratih, the development of this batik MSME is expected to be sustainable and become a new economic driver capable of creating jobs and improving community welfare.
"PT TIMAH will continue to provide support so that Kundur's first batik artisans can grow, become stronger, and eventually serve as a new pillar of the local economy," she said.
Meanwhile, Rumah Batik Kundur member Farhida Hanum said she is proud to be part of a group supported by PT TIMAH because the formation of the group and the development of members' skills were guided from the very beginning.
"You could say everything started from scratch. PT TIMAH brought us together—women who already had sewing skills—and then provided us with the opportunity to grow together and build Batik Kundur," she said.
Farhida explained that before joining the group, members had received basic batik-making training and later participated in an intensive training program facilitated by PT TIMAH in 2025.
"We received three days of training, and it was extremely helpful. We had also previously learned from fellow artisans in Karimun, so now we are able to begin developing our own regional batik designs," she said.
According to Farhida, the appeal of batik lies not only in its economic potential but also in its role in preserving Indonesia's cultural heritage.
"We are interested in batik because it is part of Indonesia's cultural heritage that must be preserved. We want Kundur to have its own unique batik identity as well," she said.
The signature batik currently being developed by the group incorporates various local elements as its primary motifs, including the local snail used in the traditional dish lendot, native leaves, flowers, and the geographical shape of Kundur Island.
"We have a motif inspired by Kundur's distinctive snail, along with local leaves and flowers that we combine into batik patterns. We also have motifs that tell the story of Kundur Island," Farhida explained.
At present, the group is focusing on developing ecoprint batik by utilizing local foliage as its primary material.
"We collect leaves from our surroundings and process them into ecoprint motifs. Since this is still a new venture for us, we are currently focused on strengthening our ecoprint identity first," she said.
However, she acknowledged that the batik development process still faces challenges, particularly in understanding material characteristics and identifying which types of leaves produce the best patterns.
"We are still learning because not every material can be used for ecoprinting. We continue experimenting and learning to identify the most suitable materials so that the quality of our products can continue to improve," she said.
Farhida hopes that through ongoing training and mentoring, the members of Rumah Batik Kundur will develop into professional batik artisans and be able to build independent businesses.
"Our hope is that we can eventually become truly professional batik makers with products that are widely recognized. We also hope that training sessions and workshops will continue so that our skills can keep improving," she said. (*)
