Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said Asean’s track record in keeping major sea lanes open should be seen as evidence of its capacity to play a larger maritime security role.

“I think the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea are much more important and much more critical compared to the Strait of Hormuz,” he told FMT.

Azmi explained that the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea serve as vital links between the Western world, including Europe, and the East, encompassing major economies such as Japan, China and South Korea.

He also said the region had maintained freedom of navigation for decades despite geopolitical tensions involving major powers.

“For the last decades, freedom of navigation was never stunted,” he said.

Azmi said Malaysia and Asean’s experience in managing these waterways demonstrated that the bloc had already played a stabilising role in regional maritime security.

Taylor’s University’s Julia Roknifard, however, said Asean must now translate that experience into stronger and more concrete collective mechanisms.

She said the bloc could not rely on fragmented responses, particularly as external pressure continued to rise.

“Asean must work collectively as no single member state can hope to withstand US pressure,” she said.

Roknifard also said the bloc needed to better recognise and use its collective bargaining power when dealing with major powers.

There is a need for “serious soul searching” within Asean to ensure a unified voice in global affairs, she said.

She warned that risks could also extend closer to home, including potential threats to key regional chokepoints.

“This will be especially important as we can see signs that there are plans to disrupt the Strait of Malacca,” she said.