Less than one week before his departure, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has postponed -- maybe even canceled -- his state visits to China, Thailand and Brunei. The fuel crisis is keeping him home and wisely so because fuel crises have in the past few years always been a politically hot issue.

Indonesia is faced with fuel supply problems due to increased domestic demand and rising global oil prices, with a dose of mismanagement added in as well. But Indonesia is not alone. Other countries in the region are facing the same problem also, especially China.