DEWAN NEGARA, MALAYSIA: A TOTAL of 2,297 army personnel were found to have committed crimes between 2004 and last year.

Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop said this was less than one per cent of the total number of army personnel.

"It is only 0.56 per cent. It shows that the number of criminal cases involving army personnel is very small," he said is reply to a question from Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain.

In 2004, 541 army personnel were involved in crime, 689 in 2005, 653 in 2006 and 414 last year. Factors that led them to do so included family and financial problems, the influence of others and their own attitude towards life.

"We continuously take measures to curb criminal acts among army personnel by increasing enforcement operations and monitoring those who are problematic."

Wira said seminars, workshops, talks and campaigns were also conducted to ensure that army personnel kept away from crime.