Indonesia's government intensifies rhetoric toward Singapore amid haze and domestic challenges
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Indonesia has escalated criticism of Singapore, warning pilgrims and cutting gas supplies, as it faces domestic criticism over wildfires, welfare programs and market concerns.
Indonesia has heightened its rhetoric toward Singapore, warning pilgrims to avoid transiting through the city-state and reducing gas supplies, while Jakarta’s energy minister said "so-called brothers and sisters" should not lecture Indonesia on contract obligations. The foreign ministry of Singapore sent its foreign minister to Indonesia this week for talks with President Prabowo Subianto, and the city-state has summoned representatives of firms suspected of causing plantation fires.
Analysts note that the nationalist tone, which intensified after Singapore and Malaysia raised concerns about haze from Indonesian fires, is likely to persist as Indonesia confronts multiple domestic issues. Yohanes Sulaiman of Universitas Jenderal Achmad Yani said the intensity of the rhetoric has risen under the current administration.
Syahganda Nainggolan, head of the Indonesian government’s communications office, told Reuters that Jakarta continues to seek close ties with Singapore and that the gas cuts were driven by domestic supply needs, coinciding with a tense diplomatic moment.
President Prabowo has resisted international criticism, including a downgrade threat from MSCI that has unsettled markets. A former Indonesian official alleged that Singapore’s sovereign wealth funds were involved in the MSCI pressure, a claim the funds denied.
Public opinion surveys show Prabowo’s approval falling to 44.5% this month from 81.2% late last year, and protests have erupted in several Indonesian cities over the government’s fire response.
Both countries’ officials emphasized the need to calm tensions. Singapore’s foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan said differences are expected and that occasional polemic statements are normal. Former Indonesian ambassador to Singapore Suryo Pratomo described recent ministerial comments as reactionary rather than official policy, noting that the bilateral relationship is complementary, not competitive.
Indonesia remains Singapore’s largest source of foreign direct investment, while Singapore continues to provide fuel imports and internet connectivity for Indonesia. Foreign-policy analyst Dewi Fortuna Anwar described the situation as a "storm in a teacup" but warned that "prickly nationalism" makes Indonesia sensitive to perceived slights.