Fact Check: False Claim Says Prabowo Closed Malacca Strait, Angering Anwar Ibrahim

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A video narrating Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's sealing of the Strait of Malacca has circulated on Facebook [archive] and TikTok. This action is claimed to have sparked anger in Singapore, Malaysia, and the United States (US), and even suggested it could lead to total bankruptcy for Singapore and Malaysia.

The video features footage of Prabowo, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and US President Donald Trump. The narrator states that the decision to seal the Strait was made in an intergovernmental meeting to ensure the absolute sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia.

However, did Prabowo really seal the Strait of Malacca?

FACT CHECK

Tempo verified the video using a reverse image search and a Google search for credible information. The results showed that the circulating content is a combination of videos from different events and contexts.

Clip 1

The video clip of Anwar Ibrahim's angry outburst is from an old incident. Malaysian media outlet Astro Awani reported the incident on September 19, 2023. At the time, Anwar was pointing fingers at opposition MP Radzi Jidin, who had laughed at him in a forum.

The tension began when Anwar responded to accusations that his party was interfering in a Supreme Court ruling. Radzi's laughter in response enraged Anwar, leading to an argument. As a result of the incident, Radzi was removed from the room.

Clip 2

At the 13-second mark, the video shows Prabowo in a cream safari suit against a backdrop of tuberoses. CNN Indonesia published the clip on April 7, 2025.

The full video, nearly 3 hours and 41 minutes long, captures Prabowo's meeting with six senior Indonesian media officials. The meeting took place at his private home in Hambalang on April 6, 2026.

A transcript analyzed using OpenAI's Whisper indicates that no discussion of closing the Strait of Malacca took place during the meeting. To date, there are no official sources or credible news reports that indicate the meeting discussed closing the Strait of Malacca.

Clip 3

The 16-second clip featuring Trump was previously uploaded by several media outlets, including ABC. The footage was a recording of Trump's press conference regarding the Iran war. The conflict began with attacks by Israel and the United States on February 2, 2026.

The Associated Press reported that in the April 1, 2026, statement, Trump claimed the US military would soon end the war. However, his statement largely repeated previous narratives with few additional details.

"We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks," Trump said. "We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong."

Malacca Strait Tariff Discourse

The issue of Indonesia managing traffic in the Strait of Malacca arose after Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa suggested imposing a toll on the strait, reflecting on Iran's plan to regulate the Strait of Hormuz.

"Singapore's territory is small, and Malaysia and we should divide it in two. If possible, that's not the case," Purbaya said at the PT SMI Symposium at the AYANA Midplaza Hotel in Jakarta on Wednesday, April 22.

Foreign Minister Sugiono reiterated the government's official stance against the proposed tariffs. He considered the move a violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the principle of freedom of international navigation.

The Indonesian government remains committed to maintaining the smooth flow of global maritime trade through open and neutral shipping lanes for all user countries.

"We also hope for free passage, and I think that's a commitment from many countries to create a free, neutral, and mutually supportive shipping lane," Sugiono said.

CONCLUSION

Tempo's verification results conclude that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's narrative that sealing the Strait of Malacca, which sparked the anger of Singapore, Malaysia, and the United States, is false.

TEMPO FACT-CHECK TEAM

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