KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Malaysian police will increase cooperation with their regional counterparts in anticipation of a rise in Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist activities in the region.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said police would closely monitor any movement of the terrorist cell network in the country.

"We will be on guard for any possibilities and will continue the good working relationship with enforcement authorities in the region," he said after a seminar with the ranking officers and non-ranking officers association here yesterday.

According to a senior police officer, checks have begun on several JI members said to be from Malaysia who attended the funeral of executed Bali bombers Amrozi and his brother Mukhlas in east Java recently.

"We acknowledge that there is a possibility of strikes occurring in the country and other countries in the region by the JI members seeking revenge for the execution of their members.

"We have taken the necessary action of activating our intelligence network to monitor their members' movements here and anticipate their possible targets," said the officer.

Meanwhile, Musa said participants in the seminar had highlighted several weaknesses in the force, including the discipline of young recruits.

"Our disciplinary board discovered that those with less than four years service tend to disobey orders, take drugs, get close with criminals and carry out crimes."

He said there was nothing wrong with the training methods and put the blame on the quality of the recruits.

"Policemen come from society. If the youths already have bad characteristics, then we have to train them and it is hard to train those who are already bad to become good."

He said the force would not cover up any crimes involving its men and would work with relevant agencies to bring them to justice.

However, he said the percentage of the bad apples among the new recruits was "quite low" and stressed that it would not hamper the force's ability to fight crime.