Following President Prabowo Subianto call to Indonesia to safeguard its natural resources and prioritise national interests, a senior minister warned on Thursday (Oct 22) that the country could stop exporting energy to countries that “disrespect” it.
The day before, he had suggested that Jakarta might not renew gas export contracts with neighbouring countries.
Coordinating Minister for Downstreaming and Energy Transition Bahlil Lahadalia said Jakarta would review its energy export agreements with countries that failed to show mutual respect, although he did not name any specific country.
“I will conduct an evaluation. I will not hesitate to consider stopping exports to countries that do not respect Indonesia,” Bahlil, who is also Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, said at an event marking the commissioning of gas production facilities on Oct 22 in Jakarta.
Bahlil, who is chairman of the Golkar Party, said disagreements between countries should be resolved through dialogue and mutual respect, although he did not specify which countries or disputes he was referring to.
His latest remarks followed his comments on Oct 21, when he raised the possibility of not renewing gas export contracts with neighbouring countries to prioritise domestic needs.
“I am also perhaps thinking of not extending gas exports to neighbouring countries, because we have to survive and meet domestic needs,” he had told reporters after a Cabinet meeting in Jakarta.
Prabowo had earlier likened the country’s natural resources to blood, warning that a body could not survive if it continued to lose blood. He urged ministers to ensure that Indonesia’s resources were used for the benefit of its people.
Indonesia exported natural gas to several countries in 2025, including Japan, China, Singapore and South Korea.
Data from Indonesia’s Central Statistics Agency showed that Japan received about 3.8 million tonnes, followed by China (3.79 million tonnes), Singapore (3.22 million tonnes) and South Korea (2.27 million tonnes).
Other destinations in South-east Asia included Thailand and the Philippines, which received about 291,000 tonnes and 138,000 tonnes respectively.
Bahlil did not identify any country in either set of remarks.
Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said in Parliament in September 2025 that Indonesia was one of the Republic’s main sources of natural gas, with existing import contracts due to expire at the end of 2028. THE STRAITS TIMES
