Crime index ratio improves in 2019 - Chief Statistician

Seven states recorded crime index ratio below the national level in 2019 namely Sarawak (214.6), Perlis (207.5), Perak (195.8), Pahang (195.7), Kelantan (188.2), Terengganu (150.3) and Sabah (143.5), he said.

"Crime index ratio for all states declined except for Penang (3.7%), Sarawak (4.2%) and Terengganu (1.3%)," he said in a statement in conjunction with the Crime Statistics, Malaysia 2020 publication.

The report presents six selected crime statistics namely crime index, drugs, corruption, environment, maritime crime and correctional.

The statistics provided is based on administrative records obtained from various agencies and the compilation is based on the concepts and guidelines of the International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purpose Version 1.0 manual published by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Mohd Uzir said crime of rape and causing injury increased 5.5 per cent and 2.9 per cent respectively in 2019 as compared to the previous year, while the percentage of robbery and murder decreased 5.3 per cent and 4.0 per cent respectively in the same period.

In 2019, the number of drug addicts arrested decreased as compared to 2018 in five states namely Kelantan, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Kuala Lumpur and Perlis, while the highest number of drug addicts arrested was recorded in Kedah (3,582 persons) followed by Kelantan (2,998 persons) and Penang (2,893 persons).

Mohd Uzir said the number of arrests made by the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) increased by 23.2 per cent in 2019, contributed by giving bribery (79.0 per cent) and false claims (35.8 per cent).

Arrests for misuse of position and other offences declined at the rate of 24.7 per cent and 9.8 per cent respectively, he said.

Meanwhile, Mohd Uzir said the highest number of arrests reported by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency related to territorial waters in 2019 were under the Fisheries Act 1985 (603 cases) followed by Immigration Act 1959/63 (167 cases), Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 (132 cases) and Sabah Ports and Harbour Enactment 2002 (94 cases).

In 2019, he said the number of children under 18 years involved in crime decreased by 8.7 per cent to 4,833 cases in 2019 from 5,294 cases in 2018, while the number of boys involved in crime also decreased by 9.2 per cent while girls remained the same as in the previous year with 290 cases.

Based on the statistics released in 2019, the majority of those involved in crime are men, with the proportion of male drug addicts (95.7%), arrests of male corruption offences (82.9%), boys involved in crime (94.0%) and the proportion of male convicted prisoners (89.5%), he said.