Inside al-Qaeda author Rohan Gunaratna had told the New Straits Times (Oct 22) that he never alleged that the Barisan Nasional was directly linked to al-Qaeda, but said there was unofficial contact between individuals from the party through the Moro Islamic Liberation Front or MILF (that might directly have logistic or financial links with al-Qaeda).

He correctly pointed out that he should not be held responsible for United Nations' monitoring group that drew up a chart showing the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) as having links to al-Qaeda through the MILF separatist group in the southern Philippines in a manner that gave and is likely to give the world the erroneous impression that the BN was linked to al-Qaeda.

Gunaratna's caveat in this regard is exculpatory to an extent, and it appears that the next step is for the government to ask the UN to remove any reference to BN in the report. It was reported by Leslie Lau in The Straits Times Interactive Oct 22 ( Angry politicians call for ban on Gunaratna book ) that according to Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi:

"Malaysia's only involvement with the MILF had been when the country was invited by the Philippines government and the rebel group to mediate in peace negotiations; that the Barisan Nasional as a party was not involved; that during the hostage crisis which followed the kidnapping of 21 people from Sipadan island, 'a few individual members of Barisan Nasional component parties had been in contact with the Abu Sayyaf to seek the release of the hostages'; and except of that, there was no other link between the BN and the Abu Sayyaf apart from it trying to seek the release of the hostages."

It seems to me that the best way to garner credibility of this disclaimer of anything other than a "limited" link with Abu Sayyaf and the MILF separatist group is to procure its nemesis, the Philippines government to corroborate in public and to the UN, Badawi's claim.

If what the Malaysian government claimed was true there is no reason — notwithstanding the diplomatic spat over the deportation of an alleged sexually abused Filipina turned Malaysian issue — why the Philippines, which is a friendly member country with Malaysia within Asean, will not endorse and corroborate what the Malaysian government claims. This is the acid test.

Much boils down to the meaning and implication of the word "link". It is natural that most Muslim majority countries whether in this region or elsewhere, which includes this country as well as member countries of OIC would share some form of ideological link (because of common religion and brotherhood) with MILF in the limited sense of showing moral or even financial support to it in the times before it became radical and violent in its actions but that is all to it.

This support should not be construed as being subsisting and continuing the moment when MILF resorted to the terrorist act of kidnapping and holding hostages to further its struggle, or where it actively collaborates with al-Qaeda that has been blamed by the international community as being responsible for the Sept 11 and Bali bombings.

The record has thus far shown that the Malaysian government has been co-operating with the US in seeking to eradicate militancy and has taken a tough anti-terrorist line to apprehend radicals under the ISA even before Sept 11.

It is therefore preposterous to view the BN as having links with al-Qaeda through MILF in a manner as if the BN is quietly endorsing or sympathetic of their terrorist methods. A past ideological link or sympathy for a common cause based on religion is not an endorsement or sympathy of the methods by which these groups adopt purportedly to advance it, and the issue must be viewed in this perspective.

Otherwise, this semantic imprecision over the expression "link" will unfairly and negatively impact on the image of this country and its economic prospects without just and accurate basis. And it is of course the duty of the ruling coalition to dispel this wrong perception.

Much of what has been said would extend beyond BN to PAS as well. Though PAS' ideological link is even stronger, it is by no means a party that may be said to have that kind of link that is deserving of being tarnished by a same brush as al-Qaeda or MILF.

International implications of the report aside, there are also domestic political repercussions.

The ruling BN is in a quandary as to how to deal with the suggestion from a PAS opposition MP "that a joint protest letter be sent to the UN urging the body to retract its allegations"(see No joint action to counter al-Qaeda link despite same stand ).

PAS scores points for its willingness to jointly protest with the BN on patriotic grounds, while BN looks petty for not wanting to protest unilaterally with PAS.

If the BN does not vindicate PAS in a joint protest note, what does it imply? That what the report said about PAS links with al-Qaeda through MILF is true? If so, why isn't the government apprehending PAS leaders? Does non-action on the part of BN in this respect implicate it in turn as actually 'sympathetic' to the 'PAS-MILF-al Qaeda links' in vindication of the UN chart in this respect?

On the other hand, to include PAS in the joint protest would embroil the BN into acknowledging that PAS is neither as radical nor militant as the terrorist groups mentioned but as a differentiating factor — and there must be one — and that it is merely more radical as compared to Umno, a point, which is feared to be too fine for their respective constituencies to appreciate.

Besides in jointly protesting with PAS, the BN would have to make the other fine point of dissociating itself from PAS Youth chief Mahfuz Omar's statement that the "UN had been manipulated by the United States and had made the accusation 'in the interest of the US".