Impatience with the slow progress of ASEAN economic integration, threats from trading blocs from other parts of the world, and the prospect of being able to achieve cooperation at a fraction of the cost of trade liberalization led to a golden age" of growth triangles (1989-98) during which the following growth triangles were created: (i) Singapore-Johor-Riau SJORI); (ii) Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand growth triangle (IMT-GT: and