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Temasek and GIC push back on claims they swayed MSCI as Indonesia reels

Nate Gregory
Published Oct 21, 2026
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Summary:
  • Singapore's Temasek and GIC rejected allegations from former Indonesian Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi that they influenced MSCI and contributed to Indonesia's market plunge.
  • Last week, MSCI indicated that, absent major upgrades to market governance, Indonesia would be taken out of its global indexes, a move that coincided with the steepest drop in local stocks since 1998.
  • Indonesia is working to avoid a downgrade ahead of an expected MSCI decision by June 30 next year, and the local exchange will exclude companies with tightly held ownership from its main gauge after meeting MSCI.

What happened

In an Instagram video, former trade minister Muhammad Lutfi alleged that Temasek and GIC wielded influence with MSCI and that Singapore was using them to pressure the index company. "They're pressuring MSCI to threaten to downgrade Indonesia to standalone market status, creating mass panic so that our stock index collapses," he said. "Then they can buy back Indonesia's best assets at discounted prices."

Days earlier, MSCI signaled that unless market governance improves significantly, Indonesia would be removed from its global indexes, and that warning aligned with the sharpest fall in Indonesian stocks since the Asian Financial Crisis in 1998.

How Temasek and GIC responded

Temasek called Lutfi's accusation baseless. Wai Hoong Fock, who oversees Asia Pacific excluding China and India for Temasek Global Investments, said the claims "have no basis and are patently untrue," adding, "No one from Temasek, either the institution or the individuals working for the institution, have ever reached out to MSCI nor influenced any decisions they have ever made." He spoke at a technology industry briefing in Singapore.

GIC also rejected the assertion. A spokesperson noted that the sovereign wealth fund has invested in Indonesia for over 30 years and added, "The allegations about GIC and our staff are untrue." The fund said its decisions are not guided by index labels or top down market calls, but by "company- and asset-level fundamentals."

When headlines raise questions about market governance and ownership, stay clear-headed with our free Market Briefs newsletter that explains it all

MSCI did not provide an immediate response to a request for comment.

What comes next and what to watch

Indonesian officials are working to stave off a downgrade, with MSCI expected to make a decision by June 30 next year. After a meeting on Monday between exchange officials and MSCI representatives, the Indonesia Stock Exchange stated it will remove firms whose ownership is tightly concentrated from the methodology used to calculate the benchmark index.

The bottom line: if your portfolio includes Indonesia, the MSCI review timeline and the exchange's methodology change are the two near term catalysts to monitor.

If complex global developments feel overwhelming, get a concise daily update in the free Market Briefs newsletter to stay informed

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