On the 22nd, the Indonesian Finance Minister stated that they would study the possibility of charging passing ships in the Malacca Strait, citing Iran's practice in the Strait of Hormuz as an example.

But soon, Foreign Minister Sugiarto came out to "put out the fire". He said that this simply wouldn't work - because it conflicted with international law.

According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, international straits like the Malacca Strait must ensure freedom of navigation. As a signatory state, Indonesia cannot arbitrarily set up checkpoints to collect fees. Sugiarto also emphasized, "We do not support such charges."

The Malacca Strait is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, with hundreds of ships passing through every day, connecting the energy and trade lifelines of East Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Once tolls are charged, it will not only be legally untenable but also difficult to implement in practice - after all, the strait is jointly managed by Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia.

Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan also responded immediately: "Everyone hopes for the smooth flow of shipping lanes and does not support any restrictive measures.".

Although someone mentioned Indonesia this time, the official attitude is very clear: we won't do it.