Proposal to Tax Ships in Malacca Strait Causes Uproar, Officials Urged to Speak with Caution

Jakarta - A political communication expert from Brawijaya University, Verdy Firmantoro, has reminded public officials to be cautious when speaking in public to avoid their statements causing controversy.

He made this remark in response to Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa’s proposal to tax ships passing through the Malacca Strait, which prompted strong reactions from neighbouring countries, Malaysia and Singapore.

“In the digital era, access to information is very easily obtained. Therefore, public communication by officials needs to be more careful, because the main audience is often not the domestic public, but external actors who have the potential for misperception,” Verdy told Kompas.com on Friday (24/4/2026).

Verdy stated that Purbaya’s message might be effective domestically as it conveys a narrative of sovereignty and national revenue.

However, the same statement poses problems abroad, given that it concerns the interests of Malaysia and Singapore, including countries that intersect with the UN international convention on maritime law.

“The main issue is not with the idea itself, but with the manner and context of its delivery. When a discourse is thrown out before there is diplomatic communication, other countries will respond defensively in the public sphere,” Verdy said.

He reminded that the audience for a public official’s statement is not only the domestic public, but also foreign governments and the global community.

Verdy also highlighted the pattern of internal government communication because Purbaya’s discourse was immediately refuted by Foreign Minister Sugiono.

“When Indonesia’s Foreign Minister then provides an official clarification that Indonesia will not impose tariffs in the Malacca Strait, this actually confirms indications of weak communication coordination within the government,” Verdy said.

From a political communication perspective, this situation shows that message discipline within the government is not yet strong.

In fact, for strategic issues that have cross-country impacts, consistency and unity of narrative are key to avoiding misunderstandings, both domestically and in the eyes of the international public.

“For sensitive issues, what matters is not only the substance of the policy, but how and when it is communicated. In the global era, communication is not a complement to policy; communication is part of the policy itself. Poor communication can create problems that may not actually exist,” Verdy added.