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JAKARTA: Indonesia has rejected the idea of imposing tolls on ships passing through the Strait of Malacca, with Foreign Minister Sugiono saying the move would go against international law.

He reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), stressing support for free and neutral passage through one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.

“We also hope for free passage, and I think that is a commitment shared by many nations,” he said in an interview with Tempo.

His remarks came after Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa suggested a potential levy on vessels using the strait, drawing comparison with Iran’s proposal for the Strait of Hormuz.

He had argued that such a system could generate significant revenue if shared among Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

However, the foreign ministry’s stance effectively ruled out the idea, reinforcing the country’s position on maintaining open and unrestricted maritime navigation.