Something surely is amiss with the current going ons and concomitant rising of tensions in the region. One was under the impression that institutions such as Asean were formed to nip disputes in the bud and to address grievances between member countries through negotiations.

There is now growing evidence that the institution is enfeebled and perhaps may have been a 'paper tiger' all along.

Indonesians are miffed at Malaysia for (they claim) stealing their oil in the Sulawesi Sea. This is no ordinary disagreement. Both countries have rushed warships to the disputed region; there is an outpouring of anti-Malaysian sentiment on Indonesian streets and strained relationships between the two governments.

Who would have thought that so soon after the bonhomie established during the Indonesian president's recent visit here we would be at loggerheads?

The issue also raises other questions - why did Malaysia go ahead and approve oil drilling in the Sulawesi Sea if the area is still disputed by a neighbouring country? The scheme smacks of the typical modus operandi of Malaysian corporations, in this instance, Petronas.

That is, first begin the project then deal with any furore that erupts while in the meantime the activity itself continues and eventually becomes a fait accompli . Bukit Cahaya, Shah Alam , anyone?

Then there is the migrant labour issue. Hundred of thousands of Indonesians are to be expelled from the country. The Indonesians are upset at the ingratitude of Malaysians who have exploited their cheap labour and now are booting them out, and in some cases appear to be taking advantage of the situation by withholding their wages .

Then there is the perennial problem with Singapore - water talks, bridge replacement, Central Provident Fund monies, etc. Yet again another high level talk was recently held between the countries' top echelons. How many have there been with no resolution in sight?

Add to the mixture Thailand's suspicious feelings that Malaysia is providing help to the rebels in the south of that country. And lately, Indonesia has accused Singapore of dragging its feet in signing an extradit ion treaty , fueling suspicions that the country is protecting white-collar criminals.

One is shocked that after all these years there are no extradition treaties between member countries of Asean.

So it is like this: Indonesia vs Malaysia, Malaysia vs Singapore, Thailand vs Malaysia, Indonesia vs Singapore and who knows what the future will bring.

Also remember that the people at the Pacific monitoring center who spotted the gigantic tsunami waves did not know who to call to warn them about the impending disaster. If that proved Asean's effectiveness, then the latest interregional problems provides more evidence for its irrelevance.

Asean appears to be a byword for just talk and talk and plenty of photo opportunities. In real matters, it appears, it has been every man for himself.