Virginia MATHESON
Pulau Penyengat : Nineteenth Century Islamic Centre of Riau *
Modern Penyengat
The tiny island of Penyengat lies directly opposite Tanjung Pinang, the main town of Bintan island, in the Province of Riau, Indonesia. It is less than 2 kilometres long, about 3/4 kilometre across at its widest point, and paths allow easy and quick access to its kampongs, graves and historical remains. In 1982 its population was 1 938. Small outboard motor boats ferry passengers to and from Tanjung Pinang, and even in choppy seas the journey takes only about twenty-five minutes. Nowdays most of the Penyengat people are employed in Tanjung Pinang, some in government service, and the Penyengat children cross daily to go to school. Tourists who pass through Tanjung Pinang are attracted to visit Penyengat when they see, across the water, the bright-yellow mosque on the little island. It is an obvious landmark, and was recently repainted by the people of Penyengat in what they say is its original colour. When they reach Penyengat tourists are escorted around the island by willing locals, who have erected a sign-
* Much of the material for this article was gathered during a fieldtrip to the area in 1983-84 made with Dr Vivienne Wee of the National University of Singapore. I thank the Faculties Research Fund of the Australian National University for making the trip possible. Our chief informant and mentor during that time was Raja Hamzah Yunus of Penyengat and I thank him for his patience and generosity. The map which accompagnies this article is based on one he prepared. Dr Wee took many of the photographs reproduced here. Her unpublished PhD thesis is a pioneering work on Riau which I refer to often and I thank her for generously sharing her wide knowledge of Riau with me.
