President Prabowo Subianto has called on ASEAN member states to accelerate the development of renewable energy and make progress on the long-proposed Trans-Borneo Power Grid, warning that energy security is an “urgent” necessity amid instability in the Middle East.
Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto, and Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet (from left to right) hold hands for a group photo during the opening ceremony of the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings, in Cebu, Philippines, May 8, 2026. (Reuters/Aaron Favila)
President Prabowo Subianto has called on ASEAN member states to accelerate the development of renewable energy and make progress on the long-proposed Trans-Borneo Power Grid, warning that energy security is no longer a distant goal but an “urgent” necessity amid rising global pressure and instability in the Middle East.Speaking on Thursday at the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Special Summit on the sidelines of the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, the Philippines, Prabowo said the region could not afford to treat the energy transition as a long-term aspiration.
