THE Association of Southeast Asian Nations must change or become irrelevant, Singapore's deputy prime minister has been quoted as saying.

Shunmugam Jayakumar represented the city-state on an "eminent persons group" panel tasked with drawing up a proposed, legally binding charter for the 10-member bloc.

Critics accuse the disparate group -- whose members range from wealthy Singapore to the impoverished communist nation of Laos -- of being a "talking shop" that accomplishes little.

The 40-year-old association has also been strongly criticised for its failure to act against abuses, especially those involving military-ruled member Myanmar.

"If it just continues to do more of the same, I think over a period of time, ASEAN will just become one of those organisations which will slowly fade into the sunset," the Straits Times quoted Jayakumar as saying.

"ASEAN -- as an organisation -- will atrophy and become marginalised" unless it reinvents itself, the Today daily quoted him as saying

He was speaking ahead of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN's) annual summit and meeting with its East Asian dialogue partners on the central Philippine island of Cebu from January 10 to 15.

The gathering was postponed from December after Philippine President Gloria Arroyo cited worries over an approaching typhoon.

A draft of the charter prepared by the eminent persons group was to be presented at the summit.

Former Philippine president Fidel Ramos, that country's representative on the high-level panel, last month outlined details of the draft, which would be a radical departure from ASEAN members' traditional non-intervention in each other's affairs.

Ramos said decision-making by consultation and consensus should be retained for sensitive and important issues.

"But if consensus cannot be achieved, decisions may be taken through voting among members," he said.

"In exceptional circumstances the traditional policy of non-intervention may be adjusted and sanctions imposed for non-compliance.

"And yes, that may include suspension of a member state but not expulsion."

Jayakumar was quoted Saturday as saying ASEAN must push ahead with the "hard-nosed decisions" to make itself more effective.

"I think there's no choice," he said.

A final draft of the charter is expected to be presented to the ASEAN summit in Singapore next December.
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