Indonesia media urges country to not turn shared problems into 'nationalist confrontations'

Indonesian media outlet The Jakarta Post published a commentary piece on Nov. 3 urging Indonesia to not turn "shared problems into nationalist confrontations".

The article title read: "Indonesia returns to old habit of blaming and bullying Singapore".

The commentary comes after recent tensions between Singapore and Indonesia over cross-border haze and natural gas exports.

The Jakarta Post's piece, written by Abdul Khalik of Omong-Omong Media, called for the country to demonstrate that it can "govern itself effectively, protect its citizens and capture a fair share of the value its economy creates".

The returning haze

Jakarta Post noted that Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto has treated complaints about the haze as "insults to Indonesia".

"But what exactly should Indonesia be proud of when its forests continue to burn, its people breathe polluted air and neighboring countries suffer the consequences?"

The outlet also highlighted that behind the fires are "powerful commercial interests that profit while ordinary people pay the price".

The transboundary haze has also affected Singapore, which has since enacted its Transboundary Haze Pollution Act to hold companies accountable.

However, this has been portrayed as "an affront to Indonesian sovereignty", Jakarta Post noted.

"Yet Singapore has a legitimate responsibility to protect its citizens from pollution crossing its borders," it stated.

Cutting natural gas exports

It was previously announced that Indonesia will begin cutting natural gas exports to Singapore by 31 billion British thermal units per day (BBTUD) from Oct. 24.

Indonesia's Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia also stated on Nov. 3 that the country could continue exporting electricity to Singapore, provided the transaction price is advantageous for Indonesia.

Jakarta Post acknowledged in its article that the Indonesian government has a legitimate obligation to secure energy for domestic supply.

However, it noted that the reduction came amid "increasingly confrontational rhetoric about countries that supposedly fail to respect Indonesia".

While the gas decision was not explicitly linked to the haze dispute, the timing raises questions about whether "economic interdependence is becoming another instrument of political signaling," it said.

"A confident government explains its constraints, establishes transparent rules and negotiates adjustments. It does not turn every disagreement into a test of national respect."

Just days earlier on Oct. 28, Singapore foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan met Prabowo during his visit to Jakarta, where they committed to working together to tackle issues such as the haze.

Asean cooperation

Jakarta Post called for cooperation among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, saying it cannot afford to have its members turn shared problems into nationalist confrontations.

It urged Prabowo to demonstrate at the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Manila that Indonesia can defend its interests without using regional diplomacy to "distract from failures at home".

While the outlet acknowledged that Indonesia should scrutinise Singapore's commercial and strategic interests when necessary, it also suggested that the country should emulate Singapore’s institutional strengths.

"Indonesia’s challenge is not to prove that it is bigger than Singapore.

It is to demonstrate that a country with extraordinary resources can govern itself effectively, protect its citizens and capture a fair share of the value its economy creates.

Singapore is not the cause of Indonesia’s domestic dysfunction. It is a convenient target for leaders unwilling to confront it."