Eddy Soeparno Asserts Urgency of Energy Security on Par with National Security
In response to rising global crude oil and gas prices resulting from turmoil in the Middle East, Eddy Soeparno, Deputy Chair of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) representing the National Mandate Party (PAN), stated that energy security is now synonymous with national security.
Soeparno made the remarks during a public lecture at Hasanuddin University (Unhas) in Makassar as part of the MPR Goes to Campus programme. According to this Doctor of Political Science from the University of Indonesia, given the critical role of industry and transport sectors in driving the national economy, Indonesia’s national security is inherently linked to energy security.
“Global dependence, including Indonesia’s, on crude oil and gas remains substantial, given that industrial sectors such as petrochemicals, fertilisers, pharmaceuticals, synthetic fibres and the transport sector all require oil and gas as raw materials and fuel. Currently, no viable substitutes exist for either,” Soeparno stated on Tuesday, 10 March 2026.
“Should oil and gas supplies be disrupted and Indonesia face difficulties obtaining the fuel it currently imports, economic activity would slow or even halt. It is clear that no vehicles, aircraft or ships can operate without fuel. Similarly, industrial sectors dependent on oil and gas raw materials would cease operations. In other words, public mobility and production processes would be paralysed immediately,” he added.
Therefore, the PAN Deputy Chair recommended that the government, particularly Pertamina, secure national oil and gas supplies through supply diversification from countries unaffected by potential Strait of Hormuz closures. Additionally, securing reliable oil and gas suppliers is critical at this time.
“Supply reliability is now more important than supply availability, given that all countries importing oil and gas are seeking suppliers from nations capable of guaranteeing consistent supply,” he said.
“In such circumstances, Indonesia could ‘jostle’ with major oil-importing nations such as China, India, Japan and South Korea to secure supply certainty,” he continued.
Moving forward, to strengthen national energy security, Soeparno urged acceleration of the energy transition, including increasing fuel storage capacity to serve as a strategic buffer, raising Indonesia’s fuel reserves from the current 20 days to 90 days in line with President Prabowo’s directive.
“Through renewable energy development, we will be able to reduce dependence on fossil fuels currently imported. Beyond conserving foreign currency and strengthening domestic energy security, we will also obtain clean and green energy,” he added.
Finally, Soeparno expressed hope that Indonesia’s fiscal security also remains robust, given that budgetary requirements for purchasing expensive crude oil will burden all oil-importing nations, including Indonesia.
“I hope the Ministry of Finance has ‘prepared an umbrella before the rain’, so Indonesia’s oil and gas supply requirements can be met despite soaring prices and weakening rupiah exchange rates. We in the legislative body will certainly support various policies to create strong energy security going forward,” concluded the member of the House of Representatives Commission XII.
The MPR Goes to Campus programme was attended enthusiastically by students, lecturers and senior academics at the university. Hasanuddin University was the 45th campus to host the MPR Goes to Campus series, an initiative launched by Eddy Soeparno since taking office as MPR Chair.