KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA'S police plan to recruit retired army personnel to help boost the force by 60,000 men over the next five years amid high levels of crime across the country, reports said on Sunday.

Crime rates have increased with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi promising to tackle the problem, one of the issues responsible for the ruling coalition government's worst ever results in March 8 polls.

'(The ex-servicemen) are suitable as some of them left the army at an early age and I think we can recruit them into the police force to enhance our manpower,' police chief Musa Hassan was quoted as saying in the Star daily.

'They will do patrolling or administrative duties, or become drivers or instructors,' he told the paper.

Mr Musa said about 6,000 ex-servicemen had applied and were being interviewed, the Star reported. -- AFP