Crime

Here is some Malaysia Traveller Trivia about crime in Malaysia.

According to official police statistics there were 128,544 crimes reported in 2014.

Malaysians are generally a law abiding people (except when driving!) and are used to living in a quiet, peaceful country. So when there is a spate of crimes reported in the press, particularly those involving violence, it causes considerable angst. 

And yet Malaysians are happy to send their children to study in England and Wales where there were 6.1 million crimes reported in 2016, that is 47 times higher even though the population of England and Wales is only twice that of Malaysia.

As for more serious crimes, a total of 540 murders were recorded in Malaysia during 2010 according to Knoema World Data Atlas. When murders happen, the Royal Malaysian Police use their best efforts to track down the perpetrators.

Things must have been a lot easier during colonial times when British policemen in Malaya employed racial stereotyping to track down criminals. In his book Records & Recollections 1889-1934 author JHM Robson wrote this:

Murders perpetrated by Asiatics can generally be traced to the following causes:

  • Among Chinese - money
  • Among Tamils - drink
  • Among Malays - women.

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AUTHOR BIO

cartoon of author with an orangutan

David (the one on the left) is the writer behind Malaysia Traveller, sharing firsthand travel advice from over five decades of living and travelling across Asia and the Middle East. Based in Malaysia since 2009 and now in Kuching, he has published 700+ pages, personally visited every place he covers, and uses only his own photos. Readers can learn more on his About Me page. He also shares updates on Facebook and YouTube. He loves uncovering overlooked places even many Malaysians have never visited.