Singapore’s prominent sovereign wealth funds, GIC and Temasek, have strongly denied allegations that they pressured index provider Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) to downgrade Indonesia's stock market classification. The controversy stemmed from claims made by a former high-ranking Indonesian official, unfolding as the Indonesian stock market faces an existential crossroads due to transparency issues and regulatory shortcomings.

The incident began on October 20 when former Indonesian Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi accused Singaporean investors, including GIC and Temasek, of orchestrating a downgrade in Indonesia's market status to induce market panic and subsequently purchase undervalued blue-chip Indonesian stocks at bargain prices.

Singaporean authorities immediately drew a line. A GIC spokesperson countered that the firm's investment decisions are based on the fundamentals of individual companies and assets rather than index classifications or macroeconomic perspectives. GIC emphasized that it has invested in the Indonesian market for over 30 years and plans to continue identifying investment destinations with superior risk-adjusted returns. Temasek’s Head of Southeast Asia, Fock Wai Hoong, also dismissed the allegations as completely groundless and patently false, making it clear that neither the institution nor individuals acting in a personal capacity have ever contacted MSCI to influence decisions regarding regional securities markets.

The root cause of this conflict stems from a warning issued by MSCI on October 15. MSCI warned that it is considering reclassifying Indonesia out of its global indices or moving it to a "Standalone" market status, citing a lack of transparency in share ownership structures, concerns over insider trading, and inadequate regulatory enforcement. MSCI annually evaluates countries for index inclusion based on economic development levels, market size, liquidity, and accessibility. If Indonesia loses its Emerging Market status and is relegated to a Standalone market—joining countries like Argentina, Lebanon, and Zimbabwe—a massive outflow of global passive funds tracking MSCI indices would be inevitable, dealing a severe blow to the broader economy.

In fact, immediately following MSCI's warning, the Jakarta Composite Index suffered a severe shock, plunging by more than 14 percent between October 16 and 19. However, the market showed a partial recovery after the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) unveiled high-intensity self-rescue measures to defend the index. IDX Director Jeffrey Hendrik defended MSCI's independence, emphasizing that global index providers operate fairly. Following a video conference with MSCI, the IDX announced that to prevent expulsion from the index, listed companies with excessively concentrated controlling shareholder stakes would be removed from flagship indices. Companies affected by this measure include major large-cap firms such as Dian Swastatika Sentosa and Barito Renewables Energy.

This is not the first time the Indonesian stock market has received a warning from MSCI. As early as January, it was warned that it could be downgraded from an emerging market to a frontier market. At the time, the Indonesian exchange pursued institutional improvements to boost liquidity, including lowering the minimum trading price from 50 rupiah to 1 rupiah and doubling the free-float ratio to 15 percent.

Experts analyze that this situation goes beyond a simple index rating adjustment, serving as a signal demanding structural reforms to enhance the reliability and transparency of trading mechanisms. As MSCI plans to collect feedback from market participants until April 30, 2027, and announce its final decision on June 30 of the same year, attention is focused on whether Indonesian financial authorities and the exchange can achieve substantive market cleansing measures during the remaining period.

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]