KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 -- Rising geopolitical tensions linked to the Strait of Hormuz are putting renewed attention on the Straits of Malacca, one of the world's most critical maritime trade routes.

The narrow waterway that passes Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore connects the Indian and Pacific Oceans and carries a significant share of global trade, including energy supplies bound for major Asian economies.

"Though I wouldn't point to any clear and present danger now existing for the Malacca Strait, anyone worried about the weaponisation of maritime chokepoints should be thinking ahead of how to manage its geopolitical vulnerabilities," Yap Chuin Wei, program director of international trade research at the Hinrich Foundation in Singap...