Infographic Sparks Debate on Digital Dependency
On October 26, 2026, former Singaporean Member of Parliament Calvin Cheng posted an infographic on social media highlighting Indonesia’s internet dependency. The post included the single word "Potong?" which translates to "Cut?" in Indonesian.
Cheng subsequently clarified his position, asserting that Singapore is a civilized and law-abiding nation that would not act on the suggestion implied by the graphic. Despite this clarification, the upload had already drawn attention to the strategic vulnerabilities in Indonesia’s digital infrastructure.
Gas Export Reduction Adds Energy Tensions
The discussion regarding digital connectivity emerged shortly after Jakarta announced a reduction in natural gas exports to Singapore. On October 24, 2026, Indonesia cut its piped gas exports by 31 million standard cubic feet per day.
Indonesian authorities cited domestic electricity needs for the regions of Batam, Bintan, and Sumatra as the reason for the reduction. Reuters reported that this cut represented approximately 9 percent of piped gas exports to Singapore.
Conflicting assessments of the impact have been reported. Bloomberg calculations indicated that the reduction accounted for 14 percent of the relevant export basis. Conversely, the Singapore energy authority stated that the cut affected less than 2 percent of its daily energy needs.
Infrastructure Concentration in Singapore
The geopolitical debate highlights a structural concentration in Indonesia’s digital infrastructure. According to Denny Setiawan, the Director of Komdigi, 90 percent of Indonesia’s internet data traffic depends on Singapore.
Data from the GeoCables platform confirms that all 72 of Indonesia’s submarine cables, including both domestic and international lines, connect to Singapore.
Observers from Monash University have attributed this dependency to geographic proximity and the presence of mature data centers in Singapore, rather than any deliberate design by Singapore to control the flow of data.
Conflicting Claims on Connectivity Risks
Indonesia’s Minister Meutya Hafid has claimed that a disconnection from Singapore would threaten 80 percent of Singapore’s connectivity. This claim has not been independently verified.