Brendan Pereira, Malaysia – As expected, Asean ministers flagged terrorism as a major threat at the end of its annual ministerial meeting in Brunei.

Along the corridors of the cavernous convention centre, diplomats from member countries spoke passionately about the need to make the region an inhospitable place for terror cells.

Now comes the more tricky part. Making sure that all member countries move beyond words and really show the will to fight terrorism on the ground.

For sometime now, Indonesia has been viewed as something of a laggard in the war on terrorism, not only by the United States but even by its close friends in the region, Malaysia and Singapore.

It has been slow to nab several Indonesian religious preachers who allegedly recruited and nurtured members of militant groups linked to the Al-Qaeda network.

These militant groups had planned to blow up targets in Singapore and had a long-term plan of creating an Islamic union in Indonesia, Malaysia and southern Philippines. Indonesia's main defence has been this: The preachers are radicals and not terrorists.

Sadly, that position was reiterated yesterday by its Foreign Minister, Mr Hassan Wirayuda, on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, a few hours before the joint communique was issued. He said that his country had done quite a lot since the Sept 11 attacks against the US, including arresting two known terrorists. But how far was Indonesia willing to go in the war against terror.

His reply: "We will do what we can within our ability. At home, we have been doing our homework. Of course, I know you want us to arrest radical groups but radicals are not the same as terrorists."

But what about Hambali Riduan Ismaudin, the pointman for the Al-Qaeda network in the region? Malaysian security officials and foreign intelligence reports say that he is hiding on the island of Java and is planning attacks on targets in Singapore and Malaysia.

The Indonesian Foreign Minister's response: "Hambali was on the wanted list of the Indonesian police even before September 11. We do not know where he is. But certainly if we find him, our police will arrest him," he said.

It would be a reassuring day if the man said to be the chief incubator of terror in the region is finally nabbed. That single act will show the world that everyone in Asean is on the same page in the fight against terrorism.