Indonesia minister accuses Singapore of reselling LNG amid calls to ease bilateral tensions

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia (centre) told reporters in Jakarta on Oct 26 that Indonesia has not breached any contract in its gas deal with Singapore.

ST PHOTO: WAHYUDI SOERIAATMADJA

Published Oct 30, 2026, 10:00 AM

Updated Oct 30, 2026, 02:37 PM

Indonesia’s Bahlil Lahadalia accused Singapore of reselling some of the 148 LNG cargoes sent from Indonesia, but gave no evidence and said there were no immediate plans to cut exports.

The row follows Indonesia’s reduction of pipeline gas exports to Singapore from Oct 24, as it diverted supplies to domestic power needs. Singapore said the cut was less than 2% of daily demand.

Other officials urged calm and closer ties. They said investment links remain strong, and both countries agreed to improve haze cooperation through a joint task force.

JAKARTA – A senior Indonesian minister has accused Singapore of reselling some of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) it imports from Indonesia to other countries, even as other officials and business leaders called for calm amid tensions over energy supplies and transboundary haze.

Coordinating Minister for Downstreaming and Energy Transition Bahlil Lahadalia said on Oct 29 that he believed some of the 148 LNG cargoes that Indonesia had shipped to Singapore were being traded and re-exported rather than used for domestic consumption.

“I believe that not all of the 148 cargoes we send are used for Singapore’s own needs, but some are traded and subsequently exported to other countries,” Bahlil told reporters after meeting President Prabowo Subianto at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.

Bahlil, who is also Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources and chairman of the Golkar Party, did not provide evidence to support the allegation or specify the period over which the cargoes were shipped.

His remarks concerned LNG transported by sea, which is separate from natural gas supplied through pipelines from Indonesia’s Natuna and Sumatra gas fields. LNG trading and re-exporting are not inherently improper, although such transactions are subject to the terms of supply agreements.

The comments come after Indonesia began reducing pipeline gas exports to Singapore on Oct 24, citing domestic energy needs.

Indonesia’s upstream oil and gas regulator SKK Migas announced reductions totalling about 877,822 standard cubic m per day , with supplies diverted to electricity generation in Batam, Bintan and Sumatra.

Singapore’s Energy Market Authority subsequently said the actual reduction, based on information from importers, amounted to 17 billion British thermal units per day over 18 days, representing less than 2% of Singapore’s daily gas demand.

Bahlil said on Oct 29 that Indonesia had not breached its agreements and that the reduced deliveries remained above the minimum supply limits stipulated in existing contracts.

He added that Indonesia had no immediate plans to reduce LNG exports to Singapore but would continue prioritising domestic demand.

The minister’s remarks followed an earlier exchange over contractual obligations, after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Oct 25 that Singapore expected parties to honour their commercial commitments.

Bahlil responded on Oct 26 by insisting that Indonesia had fulfilled its obligations and should not be lectured about respecting contracts.

Playing down tensions

His latest comments came as other senior Indonesian figures sought to play down the tensions. On Oct 29, Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani said Singapore’s investment commitments to Indonesia remained intact despite differences over haze and gas supplies.

Rosan also welcomed Singapore’s decision to summon executives from 10 companies over possible links to the haze, describing the move as a positive step towards addressing forest fires.

He said he had met Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan during the latter’s visit to Jakarta and reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to strengthening investment cooperation.

Singapore has been Indonesia’s largest source of foreign direct investment since 2014, with investments reaching US$17.4 billion (S$22.3 billion) in 2025.

Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry deputy chairman Shinta Kamdani also expressed hope on Oct 29 that Prabowo’s meeting with Balakrishnan a day earlier would help ease tensions.

“I am confident that the meeting will lead to a solution,” she said.

Shinta, who also chairs the Indonesian Employers Association, said Singapore remained a major source of investment for Indonesia and that she had not observed any decline in Singaporean investment interest in the real economy, although tensions could affect financial market sentiment.

Earlier, on Oct 27, National Economic Council chairman Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said the gas reductions should not lead to conflict between the neighbours.

“Why would we fight with Singapore? There’s no reason to,” he told reporters, adding that he had spoken to Bahlil about the issue.

Separately, Communications and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid called for restraint following remarks by former Singapore Nominated MP Calvin Cheng suggesting that Singapore could cut Indonesia’s internet connectivity.

Meutya pointed out that much of Singapore’s submarine cable connectivity passes through Indonesian waters, but stressed that digital infrastructure should be protected jointly for the benefit of both countries and global connectivity.

The exchanges have unfolded alongside renewed disagreements over transboundary haze from Indonesian forest and land fires.

During Balakrishnan’s Oct 27 to 29 visit, Singapore and Indonesia agreed to establish a joint task force to strengthen information-sharing and the coordination of enforcement efforts to tackle the haze .

Balakrishnan also met Prabowo on Oct 28, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to maintaining close bilateral relations despite differences over specific issues.

Hariz Baharudin is Indonesia correspondent at The Straits Times. He has an interest in Indonesia and the wider currents shaping South-east Asia.

Singapore-Indonesia ties

能源和矿产资源部长巴赫利尔·拉哈达利亚（中）10月26日在雅加达告诉记者，印尼没有违反与新加坡的天然气协议中的任何条款。

ST 照片：WAHYUDI SOERIAATMADJA

发布于2026年10月30日上午10:00

更新于2026年10月30日下午2:37

印尼总理巴赫利尔·拉哈达利亚指责新加坡转售了从印尼运出的 148 批液化天然气货物中的一部分，但他没有提供任何证据，并表示目前没有削减出口的计划。

此前，印尼自10月24日起减少了对新加坡的管道天然气出口，将部分天然气供应转用于满足国内电力需求。新加坡方面表示，此次减产幅度不到每日需求的2%。

其他官员呼吁各方保持冷静，并加强双边关系。他们表示，两国投资联系依然稳固，双方同意通过联合工作组加强雾霾治理合作。

雅加达——一位印尼高级部长指责新加坡将从印尼进口的部分液化天然气（LNG）转售给其他国家，与此同时，其他官员和商界领袖呼吁各方保持冷静，以应对能源供应和跨境雾霾造成的紧张局势。

下游能源转型协调部长巴赫利尔·拉哈达利亚 (Bahlil Lahadalia) 于 10 月 29 日表示，他认为印尼运往新加坡的 148 船液化天然气货物中，部分货物被用于交易和再出口，而不是用于国内消费。

“我相信我们运送的 148 批货物并非全部用于新加坡自身的需求，而是有些被转为贸易，随后出口到其他国家，”巴利尔在雅加达总统府会见普拉博沃·苏比安托总统后告诉记者。

巴赫利尔同时也是能源和矿产资源部长以及从业党主席，​​但他没有提供证据来支持这一指控，也没有具体说明货物装运的时间段。

他的言论涉及海运液化天然气，这与通过管道从印尼纳土纳和苏门答腊气田输送的天然气不同。液化天然气的交易和再出口本身并无不妥，尽管此类交易须遵守供应协议的条款。

此前，印尼于 10 月 24 日开始减少对新加坡的管道天然气出口，理由是国内能源需求。

印尼上游油气监管机构 SKK Migas 宣布减产约 877,822 标准立方米/天，并将部分石油供应转移至巴淡岛、民丹岛和苏门答腊岛的发电厂。

新加坡能源市场管理局随后表示，根据进口商提供的信息，实际减量为每天 170 亿英热单位，持续 18 天，不到新加坡每日天然气需求的 2%。

巴利尔于 10 月 29 日表示，印尼并未违反其协议，减少的交付量仍高于现有合同规定的最低供应限额。

他还补充说，印尼目前没有减少对新加坡液化天然气出口的计划，但将继续优先满足国内需求。

此前，新加坡总理黄循财于 10 月 25 日表示，新加坡希望各方履行其商业承诺，双方就合同义务进行了交流。部长发表上述言论之前，双方曾就合同义务进行过沟通。

巴利尔于 10 月 26 日回应称，印尼已经履行了其义务，不应该被指责不尊重合同。

淡化紧张局势

在他发表最新言论之际，其他印尼高层人士正试图淡化紧张局势。10月29日，投资部长罗山·鲁斯拉尼表示，尽管双方在雾霾和天然气供应问题上存在分歧，但新加坡对印尼的投资承诺依然不变。

罗桑也对新加坡决定传唤 10 家公司的管理人员调查其与烟霾可能存在的关联表示欢迎，称此举是解决森林火灾问题的积极一步。

他表示，在新加坡外交部长维文·巴拉克里希南访问雅加达期间，他与他会面，并重申了两国加强投资合作的承诺。

自 2014 年以来，新加坡一直是印度尼西亚最大的外国直接投资来源国，预计到 2025 年，投资额将达到 174 亿美元（223 亿新元）。

印尼工商会副主席辛塔·卡姆达尼 (Shinta Kamdani) 也于 10 月 29 日表示，希望普拉博沃 (Prabowo) 前一天与巴拉克里希南 (Balakrishnan) 的会面能够有助于缓解紧张局势。

“我相信这次会议一定会找到解决方案，”她说。

同时担任印尼雇主协会主席的辛塔表示，新加坡仍然是印尼的主要投资来源地，她没有观察到新加坡对实体经济的投资兴趣有任何下降，尽管紧张局势可能会影响金融市场情绪。

此前，10月27日，国家经济委员会主席卢胡特·宾萨尔·潘查伊坦表示，天然气减量不应导致邻国之间的冲突。

“我们为什么要和新加坡开战？没有理由这么做，”他告诉记者，并补充说他已经就此事与巴赫利尔谈过。

另外，通讯及数码事务部长梅蒂亚·哈菲德呼吁各方保持克制，此前新加坡前官委议员郑国强发表言论，暗示新加坡可能会切断印尼的互联网连接。

Meutya指出，新加坡的大部分海底电缆连接都经过印度尼西亚水域，但他强调，为了两国和全球互联互通的利益，数字基础设施应该得到共同保护。

与此同时，双方就印尼森林和土地火灾造成的跨境烟霾问题再次产生分歧。

在巴拉克里希南 10 月 27 日至 29 日访问期间，新加坡和印度尼西亚同意成立一个联合工作组，以加强信息共享和协调执法工作，应对雾霾问题。

10月28日，巴拉克里希南还会见了普拉博沃，双方重申了尽管在具体问题上存在分歧，但仍致力于保持密切的双边关系。

哈里兹·巴哈鲁丁是《海峡时报》驻印度尼西亚记者。他对印度尼西亚以及影响东南亚的更广泛趋势很感兴趣。

新加坡与印度尼西亚的关系