Swimming Across Borders: Media, Voice, and Maritime Bordering in the Indonesia–Singapore Corridor

This commentary examines how media narratives, communication practices, and human security concerns intersect in the maritime bordering of the Indonesia–Singapore corridor. Using the case of Jamaludin Taipabu, an Indonesian migrant who attempted to swim from Batam to Singapore, the paper highlights how state sovereignty and human mobility collide across the sea. The analysis combines border studies and communication perspectives to explore how the media frame migrants, how their voices are marginalized, and how maritime borders operate as both physical and symbolic processes. Three alternative approaches are proposed to humanize border governance: developing safe migration channels, establishing bilateral humanitarian corridors, and strengthening ASEAN’s regional protection mechanisms. The commentary concludes that maritime borders should be reimagined not as dividing walls but as communicative bridges that enable safe and dignified mobility across Southeast Asia.