Kuala Lampur, April 23 -- Remarks by Indonesia's Finance Minister, Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, yesterday at the PT SMI 2026 Symposium in Jakarta, suggesting the possibility of introducing a levy on vessels transiting the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, have sparked renewed debate on the limits of coastal state authority over strategic waterways. While the idea may appear economically attractive, it is not supported by international law.

The governing framework is the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Under this regime, the Straits of Malacca and Singapore are classified as straits used for international navigation. These waterways are subject to the right of transit passage, which guarantees ships the freedom of ...