Kuala Lampur, Sept. 14 -- The latest surge in oil prices is no longer merely an energy story. It is becoming a test of political stability, economic resilience and strategic discipline across Malaysia and Asean.

Brent crude climbed above US$108 (RM438) a barrel on Monday after drone attacks forced Saudi Arabia to shut its crucial East-West pipeline.

The pipeline has assumed exceptional importance because it allows Saudi crude to move from the Gulf side of the kingdom to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, bypassing the increasingly constrained Strait of Hormuz.

The danger is therefore becoming more serious.

West Asia is confronting pressure at several points simultaneously.

The Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted. The Saudi East-West pipeline ...