General Abdul Aziz Zainal did not clearly state the reason for the withdrawal, but Malaysian officials last week cited a lack of progress in the talks for its planned withdrawal of its truce monitors.

They make up the bulk of a 60-man international contingent credited with preventing major fighting in southern Mindanao region the last four years.

There have been concerns that the planned withdrawal of Malaysian monitors could threaten a 2003 cease-fire, spark new clashes or encourage Al-Qaeda-linked militants to launch attacks to sabotage the already-stalled peace negotiations.

Gen Abdul Aziz, who arrived in the Philippines on Wednesday, discussed with Philippine officials the withdrawal of the Malaysian truce monitors but stressed at a news conference on Thursday that Malaysia will continue to broker the talks between Manila and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

'It doesn't mean that we are abandoning the peace process,' Gen Abdul Aziz told reporters.

After a legal mandate by the Philippine government and rebels authorising the presence of the foreign truce monitors expires in August, Gen Abdul Aziz suggested Malaysia would still be willing to help safeguard the 2003 cease-fire somehow in a 'new format'.

He declined to elaborate, saying there could be talks to determine how Malaysia can continue to help to preserve the cease-fire in the future.

Gen Abdul Aziz rejected fears that the Malaysian monitors' withdrawal could lead to violence, saying Filipinos have grown used to the absence of fighting, which have considerably dropped from up to 700 clashes a year in the past to just 15 last year.

'After four years, they don't even remember about fighting anymore,' he said. 'They wouldn't like to go back to the old days when they were fighting.'

Philippine military chief Gen Hermogenes Esperon, who met with Gen Abdul Aziz, said the Malaysian general separately met with Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and government peace negotiator Rodolfo Garcia.

Mr Garcia said at least half of the 41 Malaysian monitors will leave on May 10.

Officials hope the remaining truce monitors from Brunei, Libya and Japan will decide to stay to guard even two of five regions watched by the peacekeepers, he said.

Gen Abdul Aziz will visit Malaysian monitors in the south. He also plans to meet Muslim guerrillas in a rebel camp in the south, rebel negotiator Mohagher Iqbal said.

Muslim guerrillas have blamed the Philippine government for the Malaysian monitors' withdrawal, saying Manila negotiators were dragging their feet in concluding an agreement that would end decades of fighting.

Malaysian-brokered talks hit a snag in December when rebel negotiators walked away from a meeting to protest Manila's insistence that any accord should conform to the Philippine Constitution. -- AP