Bahlil Considers Stopping Gas Exports to Other Countries, Calls Indonesia in 'Survival' Mode

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia stated that he is considering halting gas exports to neighboring countries.

This consideration comes as Bahlil emphasizes that Indonesia is currently in a survival mode, necessitating prioritization of domestic needs.

"So, if other countries have different perspectives for us, they should be careful. I may also consider not extending my gas exports to neighboring countries. Because we have to survive, we must first meet our domestic needs," Bahlil remarked at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday evening (21/10/2026).

Bahlil mentioned that other ministries will also implement measures aligned with this survival mode.

Moreover, President Prabowo Subianto has already called for massive budget savings.

"Yes, we really need to survive. As state officials, and the President as the head of state, whatever the President conveys must be articulated by all ministries in the context of implementing programs aimed at survival," he added.

Earlier, President Prabowo Subianto referenced the current geopolitical conditions, asserting that only the strong will prevail.

According to Prabowo, the current geopolitical landscape reveals an absence of an international order.

"Now it is politics based on strength. Those who are strong will survive, and we can see what happens in the Middle East and elsewhere; those who are weak will perish," Prabowo stated during a plenary cabinet meeting at the Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday (21/10/2026).

Consequently, the Head of State emphasized the importance of national unity politics in facing the current state of the world.