Malacca Strait States Will Keep Waters ‘Free, Open and Safe’

By Weilun Soon

Aug 25, 2026 (Bloomberg) –Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore — countries that share the primary stewardship of the Strait of Malacca — said on Tuesday they were committed to keeping the narrow corridor and the waters around it “free, open and safe for international shipping.”

The Strait of Malacca is one of the world’s most vital thoroughfares. As the shortest route between the Middle East and East Asia, more than a fifth of the world’s seaborne trade passes through it. Like other strategic waterways, however, it has come under the spotlight since the start of US and Israeli strikes against