Malaysian police must wear badges reading "I'm against corruption" as part of a new campaign to clean up the force and discourage people from bribing officers, police said today.

About 40,000 of the badges have been distributed to police officers along with 20,000 car stickers with similar slogans for the force's vehicles, said federal police spokesman Superintendent Mohamad Daud.

"All this is to encourage people to try and avoid giving bribes to the police and also the police to stop taking bribes," Mohamad told AFP, adding that it was compulsory for officers to wear the badges.

Posters have also been distributed to state and police contingents which variously read "Honourable police above corruption", "Don't give and take bribes", "Bribe the police? You will be prosecuted" and "Corruption does not pay".

Serve as reminder

Mohamad was hopeful the initiatives would change the mindset of police and the public, and said the wearing of the badges would serve as a reminder to eschew corruption.

"Hopefully it will create something like this feeling on both sides," he said, adding that the campaign would continue until further notice.

A survey of Malaysians earlier this year showed nearly 80 percent believe corruption is most prevalent in the public sector. Malaysians often complain of having to pay off officials to get their cases processed.

The police are the government agency most commonly involved in graft, said 68 percent of those surveyed. Two-thirds of the bribes paid involved the police, mostly for traffic violations.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has pledged to combat corruption. Since he came to power in 2003 one cabinet minister has resigned over graft, while several other politicians from the ruling party have faced censure.