Malaysia’s Crime Index rose by 11.1 per cent in 2024, with a total of 58,255 cases reported compared to 52,444 cases in 2023, according to the latest report released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
The increase was largely attributed to a rise in property-related crimes, which climbed by 12.4 per cent to 47,188 cases, while assault crimes also saw a moderate increase of 5.9 per cent to 11,067 cases.
Decline in Homicide and Kidnapping Cases
Despite the overall increase, homicide cases recorded a significant drop. Intentional homicides fell 9.5 per cent to 237 cases, while non-intentional homicides remained unchanged at two cases.
Kidnapping cases also declined slightly to 17 incidents, with children accounting for 11 of those cases.
Mixed Trends in Sexual and Robbery Offences
Sexual offences showed a divergent pattern. Total rape cases rose by 12.1 per cent to 1,899 cases, driven by a 29.3 per cent increase in rape without force, while rape with force declined by 15.3 per cent — a shift that may reflect evolving reporting trends or patterns of perpetration.
Meanwhile, robbery cases fell by 6.8 per cent, totalling 4,276 cases. Most involved robbery from the person (41.7%), followed by other types (38.2%), robbery of establishments or institutions (13.5%), and vehicle robberies (6.7%).
House break-in and theft also recorded a 1.8 per cent decline, with 77.6 per cent of these incidents occurring at night.
Drug Offences Continue to Climb
Drug-related offences continued their upward trend, rising 10.6 per cent to 81,090 cases in 2024.
Cases involving drug supply increased 4.6 per cent, while drug possession jumped 12.7 per cent, indicating intensified enforcement and possibly higher rates of substance use.
Bribery and Misappropriation Cases on the Rise
Arrests for bribery-related offences rose sharply by 24.6 per cent, with 764 individuals apprehended.
Cases involving giving bribes surged 51.2 per cent, while accepting bribes rose 20.3 per cent, underscoring continued efforts by enforcement agencies to combat corruption.
Similarly, misappropriation of controlled goods increased by 19.1 per cent to 2,243 cases.
The most misappropriated items were diesel (30%), petrol (26.7%), cooking oil (19.8%), sugar (10.1%), liquefied petroleum gas (9.1%), and wheat flour (4.4%).
Workplace Safety Offences Surge
Offences related to health and safety at work recorded the steepest rise — up 71.1 per cent to 296 cases.
The manufacturing sector accounted for the majority of cases (57.4%), followed by construction (27.4%) and business services (8.1%).
Animal Cruelty and Sea Robbery Remain Low
Animal-related offences dropped to 12 cases in 2024, comprising cruelty and welfare violations.
Sea robbery, once an occasional concern, was completely absent in 2024, compared to just one reported case in 2023.
Sharp Rise in Prison Population
Malaysia’s correctional statistics reflected a significant 28.4 per cent increase in convicted prisoners, totalling 128,916 individuals in 2024.
Male prisoners represented 90.9 per cent of the total, while female prisoners accounted for 9.1 per cent.
