Malaysia will launch a regional anti-terrorism centre on July 1 in partnership with the United States, an official said today, despite a recent strain in relations between the two countries.

The Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terorrism will be temporarily based at Malaysia's foreign ministry before shifting to new premises in Kuala Lumpur, said the centre's newly-appointed director-general Zainal Abidin Zain.

"From next Tuesday, we will be open for business. We expect to move to our new office in a few months time after renovation work is completed," he said.