‘If only it could be like that’: Indonesian minister raises, then rejects idea of tolling Malacca Strait like Iran’s Hormuz

JAKARTA, April 23 — Indonesian Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has sparked discussion after briefly suggesting the country could consider charging ships using the Strait of Malacca, before quickly clarifying that the idea was not feasible.

The remarks came amid renewed global attention on strategic waterways following Iran’s reported move to impose charges on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz during heightened regional tensions.

“We are on a strategic global trade and energy route, but we do not charge ships passing through the Strait of Malacca.

“Now Iran is looking to charge ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz,” Purbaya was quoted by Singapore-based news outlet The Straits Times as saying during a financial symposium here yesterday.

“If we split it three ways between Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, that could be quite something, right?” he added.

Moments later, he backtracked.

“If only it could be like that, but that’s not the case,” he was quoted saying in his speech, pointing to the legal, geopolitical and practical constraints involved.

Purbaya noted that while Indonesia sits along one of the world’s most important shipping corridors, monetising it is neither simple nor appropriate.

Indonesian Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa had briefly proposed tolling ships passing through the Strait of Malacca, after Iran’s Hormuz move, only to reject it as impractical moments later. — AFP pic

He stressed that any such move would immediately raise complex international legal and diplomatic issues involving neighbouring coastal states.

He later emphasised that Indonesia would not seek to exploit its position along the strait for revenue.

The Strait of Malacca, linking the Indian Ocean and South China Sea, is one of the busiest maritime passages in the world, carrying roughly a quarter of global trade.

The waterway is jointly managed by Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore under long-standing principles of freedom of navigation under international law.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore recently reiterated that the three countries remain committed to keeping the straits open and safe through cooperation on navigation infrastructure and maritime safety.

Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan has also stressed that transit passage through international waterways is a legal right, not a privilege or tollable service.

He said Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia share a strategic interest in keeping the straits open, adding that they would not support any attempt to impose charges or restrictions on navigation.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono separately said foreign naval movements in regional waters were routine and covered under international law, reaffirming Jakarta’s “free and active” foreign policy stance that avoids alignment in geopolitical rivalries.