Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to deepen their bilateral ties in an attempt to end a year-long socio-cultural spat that analysts say could threaten regional institutions if allowed to fester.

However, analysts and diplomats are sceptical how long peace will last because within hours of the two nations’ foreign ministers agreeing last week not to lay claim to disputed items of heritage, Malaysia’s tourism minister was inflaming passions by insisting that culinary dishes popular in Indonesia and Singapore were Malaysian.