Indonesian finance minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said today the plan supports President Prabowo Subianto’s push to position Indonesia as a major force in global trade, reported Jakarta Globe.

Highlighting proposals linked to Iran’s toll system in the Strait of Hormuz as possible reference models, he said any levy in the Straits of Malacca would need to be implemented through coordination with neighbouring countries.

However, Purbaya acknowledged that the plan remains in its early stages and might not be implemented soon, given the challenges of securing consensus among littoral states and the likelihood of opposition from the global shipping industry.

“Indonesia is not a marginal country. We sit along a key global trade and energy route, yet ships passing through the Straits of Malacca are not charged,” Purbaya was quoted as saying at a symposium in Jakarta.

“With all the resources we have, we should not think defensively. We need to start thinking more offensively, but in a measured way.”

The Straits of Malacca – bordered by Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore – link the Indian and Pacific Oceans and is considered a major economic chokepoint, comparable to the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal, and the Panama Canal.

It carries roughly 40% of global trade, including most oil shipments from the Middle East to Asian economic centres such as China, Japan and South Korea.

However, the idea to charge vessels for passage through the waterway runs counter to the position taken by Malaysia and Singapore.

Yesterday, transport minister Loke Siew Fook told a roundtable session in Singapore that Malaysia remains committed to ensuring both freedom of navigation and freedom of transit in the straits.

Earlier today, Singapore’s foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan said passage through the busy straits must remain free for all, adding that the city-state will not support any attempts to restrict it.