Asean's 'increasingly incoherent' role and relevance as a regional organisation came into sharp focus at a recent panel discussion in Kuala Lumpur organised by the Malaysian Association for American Studies (Maas) in conjunction with its 20th anniversary.

At the discussion themed - 'US-Asean Political, Economic, and Security Relations Post Sept 11' on Monday, panelist Dr Abdul Razak Baginda said it seemed clear that Asean was less coherent today than in the past.

According to the Malaysian Strategic Research Centre director, some observers have argued that Asean faced its biggest challenge to remain united in substance.