The government's intent to allow the US-proposed regional anti-terrorism centre to be set up in this country is fraught with a possible dilemma and conflict situation (see Opposition shoots down 'anti-terror' centre in KL).

On one hand the ruling party Umno has to consider how domestically its Muslim constituency may react to any issue like (say) disarming Iraq President Saddam Hussein and a regime change pushed for by the United States and Britain.

Supposing the move to remove Saddam angers some sections that try to mobilise support or demonstrations against it. Will this anti-terror centre staffed by both Malaysians and Americans profile these sympathisers as potential terrorists?

As Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had told leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) forum, the three issues which affected Muslims most were the "Iraqi issue, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and terrorism" regarding which the Americans may not share the same perception of what is the right thing to do about them.

There may not be any foreign troops stationed here (No foreign troops in M'sia-US anti-terror center: minister) but certainly the think tank from FBI and CIA will work alongside Malaysian agents and it is difficult to formulate a common policy directive if the Malaysian partner has a domestic agenda of what its voters may think come next election that the US does not need to consider.

It is very hard to juggle with competing and in fact conflicting objectives from such a centre and it may compound the existing problem of the government being accused of giving mixed signals on terrorism as DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang said in a media statement.