Kuala Lampur, Aug. 19 -- When Asean was established on August 8, 1967, its founding members envisioned a regional order built on dialogue, cooperation, and resilience. For South-east Asia, still emerging from the shadows of colonial rule and Cold War confrontation, Asean was a bold attempt to craft a zone of stability.

Four years later, in 1971, Malaysia and Singapore joined hands with Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand to launch the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA). This pact was no accident of history; it was a deliberate complement to Asean's vision of regional security.

The FPDA was born just a year after Asean declared the Zone of Peace, Freedom, and Neutrality (Zopfan) in Kuala Lumpur in 1970.

Zopfan was a polit...