.The complexity of threats in the not-too-distant future raises important questions on the
force structure of Southeast Asian armies. By 2020, issues predominantly of transnational nature
would dominate the security climate in Southeast Asia. In such a regionalised environment, closer
cooperation between governments, military forces and other security agencies would be a lynchpin
in ensuring a stability that transcends national boundaries. Cooperative security could provide a
framework for closer cooperation.
16.Cooperative security defined. Cooperative security is conceptualised as cooperation
between ASEAN governments, military forces, civil and non-government organisations, focusing on
the common security challenges posed by amalgamated threats. Cooperative security will harness the
strengths of member states against the vulnerabilities of such threats. For instance, against militants
hiding in jungles, the Malaysian Armed Forces, with their expertise in Counter Insurgency Warfare,
could provide advice and assistance on operations designed to root out these militants. Hence, a pre-
condition of cooperative security is the understanding of the true nature of a particular threat and
appropriately applying the expertise and resources of member states.
17.Impact on ASEAN. Cooperative security will require the nature of ASEAN to evolve.
Since the inception of ASEAN in 1967, the association was never considered to be an alliance or
a collective security arrangement.30 Rather, ASEAN was conceptualised as a multilateral approach
to security.31 Presently in ASEAN, cooperative security is somewhat limited by competing national
security concerns in Southeast Asia.32 Hence, ASEAN could move towards greater cooperation in
regional security matters.33 Indeed, some level of collaboration on security on a regional basis is
essential if the wellbeing of the various states is to be assured.34 However, collaborative actions could
inadvertently be misconstrued as impinging on national sovereignties.35 Perhaps a pre-condition for
a viable cooperative security framework must rest on the acceptance by ASEAN states of ‘rules’ that
relate their domestic political structures to their relations with one another,36 as well as the principles
required for an effective regional security mechanism.37 Indeed, there have been calls to replace
the non-intervention policy with an explicit linkage between domestic government and regional security.38 As Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmed Badawi stressed:
At times, it may be necessary for ASEAN member countries to be a mirror to each other and ‘gentle reminders’
from fellow ASEAN nations should be accepted in the spirit of maintaining unity and credibility.39
18.Impact on Southeast Asian armies. Cooperative security will impact on the force structure
of Southeast Asian armies. Given the diverse state of development of Southeast Asian armies, closer
cooperation will require interoperability between military forces and security agencies within and
between Southeast Asian countries. Indeed, Southeast Asian armies will need to be tailored to the
increasingly porous national borders and amalgamation of security threats.
19.Broad-spectrum capabilities. Southeast Asian armies will have to contend with amalgamated
threats in addition to traditional ones. While conventional conflict is still a possibility, albeit low, it
is necessary to develop capabilities that address the amalgamated threats without compromising
conventional warfighting capabilities. Hence, Southeast Asian armies will need to develop broad-
spectrum forces, capable of handling broad-spectrum threats ranging from external conventional
threats to amalgamated threats, such as law enforcement and even possibly nation-building. This will
require forces to be trained in both conventional and non-conventional operations, be equipped for
both and be adaptable to different requirements at a relatively short notice. Hence, force development
in Southeast Asian armies will continue to focus on conventional capabilities while developing
doctrines that allow flexibility of employing conventional capabilities in non-conventional tasks.