Defence Minister Najib Abdul Razak today said US has yet to provide details on the proposed Asean regional training centre for counter-terrorism to be set up in Malaysia next year.

"We have not been officially informed yet as to the details. I believe the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is coordinating [the matter].

"The detailed proposal is supposed to be submitted by the Americans. We have not seen it yet. At least, the Malaysian cabinet have not seen it," Najib said when asked on details of the US-proposed anti-terror centre.

The minister was speaking at a press conference held after the signing ceremony between the Malaysian Defence Ministry (Mindef) and PT Dirgantara Indonesia for the purchase of two additional CN 235-220M transport aircrafts from the Indonesian company.

Malaysia bought six similar aircrafts from the same company which was then known as PT Industri Terbang Nusantara in February 1995.

The establishment of a regional counter-terrorism centre in Malaysia was first mooted by US Secretary of State Colin Powell during his visit to Kuala Lumpur in July.

The Malaysian government has agreed to the idea but few details on the centre have been made public.

No proposals yet

Najib today hinted that Malaysia may have a say in the planning of the centre though it is still waiting for the US' proposals on the centre.

"We want to see what their proposals are because we are entitled to have our views as well," he said.

According to Najib, the government has only "approve in principle" to allow for the setting up of the proposed anti-terror centre in Malaysia.

"In principle, it's only for capacity building, not any troop deployment," he stressed.

Malaysians who opposed the centre claimed that it could be used by the US as a base to meddle with Southeast Asia's domestic politics.

When asked about the source of funding for the centre, Najib said this has yet to be discussed.

"We have not got the details yet, including the funding of the centre, the deployment of experts and who are going to teach at the centre," he said.

In an Oct 30 interview on Radio Australia, Frank Whittaker, US Embassy press officer in Kuala Lumpur, said Malaysia will be involved in the planning for the centre.

"Well, at this point, the goals of the centre are still being formulated...and because the Malaysians will be running this centre, the ball is very much in their court as to how this centre is to be defined," he said.