Crime in Malaysia

Last updated

Royal Malaysia Police - Airport Police Malaysian Police 003.jpg
Royal Malaysia Police - Airport Police

Crime in Malaysia manifests in various forms, including murder, drive-by shooting, [1] drug trafficking, money laundering, fraud, black marketeering, and many others. [2] Sex trafficking in Malaysia is a significant problem. [3] [4] [5]

Contents

The crime rate in Malaysia showed a decline of 11.9% in 2018 compared to the previous year. [6] However, the public perception of crime did not improve.

According to the Royal Malaysia Police in 2014, the cities and towns with the highest number of criminal cases (in descending order) were Petaling Jaya, Johor Bahru, Bukit Mertajam, Ipoh and Kuantan. [7]

Human trafficking

Malaysia is a destination, supply and transit point for women and children trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation. [8] Women and girls from Burma, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam are trafficked to Malaysia. [8] Malaysia is a transit country along with Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand in Chinese human trafficking. [9] Women from Malaysia are trafficked into the People's Republic of China. [9] Migrants from countries in the region work as domestic servants and laborers in the construction and agricultural sectors and face exploitative conditions. [8]

Between 2005 and September 2009, more than 36,858 women were arrested for prostitution in Malaysia. [10]

Drug trafficking

Drug trafficking is a problem, heroin being the primarily used drug. [8] The maximum penalty for drug trafficking is up to death, [11] a measure which was introduced during the 1980s to combat drug offenses, and was highlighted following the 1986 execution of Kevin John Barlow and Brian Geoffrey Chambers.

Crime against tourists

Violent crime against foreign tourists is less frequent in Malaysia; [12] however, pickpocketing and burglaries are common criminal activities directed against foreigners. [12] Other types of non-violent crime include credit card fraud and motor vehicle theft; [12] there is a high rate of credit card fraud. [12] [13] Scams are a problem in Kuala Lumpur which involve card games and purchase of gold jewellery. [11]

Corruption

In the 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International, Malaysia had a corruption score of 48 out of 100; Malaysia was ranked 62nd worldwide, similar to Jordan and Cuba, and 3rd in Southeast Asia, behind Singapore (1st in SE Asia, 4th worldwide) and Brunei (2nd in SE Asia, 35th worldwide), and ahead of Vietnam (4th in SE Asia, 87th worldwide), Indonesia (4th in SE Asia, 96th worldwide), Thailand (5th in SE Asia, 110th worldwide) and lastly the Philippines (6th in SE Asia, 117th worldwide). [14] [15]

Transparency International list Malaysia's key corruption challenges as:

  1. Political and Campaign Financing: Donations from both corporations and individuals to political parties and candidates are not limited in Malaysia. Political parties are also not legally required to report on what funds are spent during election campaigns. Due in part to this political landscape, Malaysia's ruling party for over 55 years has funds highly disproportionate to other parties. This unfairly impacts campaigns in federal and state elections and can disrupt the overall functioning of a democratic political system.
  2. “Revolving door”: Individuals regularly switch back and forth between working for both the private and public sectors in Malaysia. Such circumstances – known as the ‘revolving door’ – allow for active government participation in the economy and public-private relations to become elusive. The risk of corruption is high and regulating public-private interactions becomes difficult, also allowing for corruption to take place with impunity. Another factor which highlights the extent of ambiguity between the public sector and private corporate ownership is that Malaysia is also a rare example of a country where political parties are not restricted in possessing corporate enterprises.
  3. Access to information: As of April 2013, no federal Freedom of Information Act exists in Malaysia. Although, Selangor and Penang are the only Malaysian states out of thirteen to pass freedom of information legislation, the legislation still suffers from limitations. Should a federal freedom of information act be drafted it would conflict with the Official Secrets Act – in which any document can be officially classified as secret, making it exempt from public access and free from judicial review. Additional laws such as the Printing Presses and Publications Act, the Sedition Act 1949 (subsequently replaced with the National Harmony Act), and the Internal Security Act 1969 also ban the dissemination of official information and offenders can face fines or imprisonment. [16] Malaysia suffers from corporate fraud in the form of intellectual property theft. [17] Counterfeit production of several goods including IT products, automobile parts, etc., are prevalent. [17]

On 3 July 2018, former Prime Minister Najib Razak was arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), investigating how allegedly RM42 million (US$10.6 million) went from SRC International into Najib's bank account. Police seized 1,400 necklaces, 567 handbags, 423 watches, 2,200 rings, 1,600 brooches and 14 tiaras worth $273 million. [18] On 28 July 2020, the High Court convicted Najib on all seven counts of abuse of power, money laundering and criminal breach of trust, becoming the first Prime Minister of Malaysia to be convicted of corruption, [19] [20] and was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment and fined RM210 million. [21] [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Najib Razak</span> Prime Minister of Malaysia from 2009 to 2018

Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak is a Malaysian politician who served as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia from 2009 to 2018. In 2020, he was convicted of corruption in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal, one of the largest money-laundering and embezzlement scandals in history. He is the son of former prime minister Abdul Razak Hussein. Najib Razak was the chairman of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition from April 2009 to May 2018 and the president of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) from November 2008 to May 2018, which had maintained control of Malaysia's government with a parliamentary majority for more than sixty years until the coalition's defeat in the 2018 general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China Communications Construction Company</span> Chinese state-owned construction company

China Communications Construction Company, Ltd. (CCCC) is a majority state-owned, publicly traded, multinational engineering and construction company primarily engaged in the design, construction and operation of infrastructure assets, including highways, bridges, tunnels, railways, subways, airports, oil platforms, and marine ports. CCCC has been a contractor for numerous Belt and Road Initiative projects. It is included in the Fortune Global 500 list for 2016.

This is a timeline of Malaysian history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Malaysia and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see History of Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1Malaysia Development Berhad</span> Insolvent development company embroiled in scandals

1Malaysia Development Berhad is an insolvent Malaysian strategic development company, wholly owned by the Minister of Finance (Incorporated).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission</span> Government anti-graft body

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, abbreviated MACC or SPRM, is a government agency in Malaysia that investigates and prosecutes corruption in the public and private sectors. The MACC was modelled after top anti-corruption agencies, such as the Independent Commission Against Corruption of Hong Kong and the Independent Commission Against Corruption in New South Wales (ICAC), Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosmah Mansor</span> Wife of Malaysian politician Najib Razak

Rosmah binti Mansor is the second wife of former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak. Like her husband, she was implicated in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal (1MDB). On 1 September 2022, she was found guilty of corruption in relation to a school electricity project, fined $303m and sentenced to ten years imprisonment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rahah Noah</span> Malaysian socialite

Tun Hajah Rahah binti Mohamed Noah was the wife of the 2nd Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein (1922–1976) and the mother of former Prime Minister Najib Razak. She was the daughter of Mohamed Noah Omar (1898–1991), 1st Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat and also 3rd President of the Dewan Negara.

<i>Sarawak Report</i>

Sarawak Report is an opinion, gossip, commentary, and political activism blog focused on environmental and corruption issues in Malaysia. It has been largely self-published and operated from London since 2010 by Clare Rewcastle Brown. The blog had originally focused on the welfare of the indigenous people in Sarawak but eventually published original exposés on corruption scandals in wider Malaysia. In 2017, it gained wide recognition for its original and early exposure of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal, which had led the Najib Razak-led Malaysian government to block the website. The blog was openly critical of the Barisan Nasional-led state and federal governments of Sarawak and Malaysia, and supportive of the Pakatan Harapan opposition.

Crime is present in various forms in Myanmar and is continuous with the activities of many drug trafficking financed militias at the eastern and western border regions, and with corruption within and challenges to the central government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in Laos</span>

Crime is present in various forms in Laos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corruption in Malaysia</span> Institutional corruption in the country

According to a 2013 public survey in Malaysia by Transparency International, a majority of the surveyed households perceived Malaysian political parties to be highly corrupt. A quarter of the surveyed households consider the government's efforts in the fight against corruption to be ineffective. Corruption in Malaysia generally involves political connections still playing an important role in the outcome of public tenders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal</span> International corruption scandal that began in Malaysia

The 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal, often referred to as the 1MDB scandal or just 1MDB, is an ongoing corruption, bribery and money laundering conspiracy in which the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) was systematically embezzled, with assets diverted globally by the perpetrators of the scheme. Although it began 2009 in Malaysia, the scandal's global scope implicated institutions and individuals in politics, banking, and entertainment, and led to criminal investigations in a number of nations. The 1MDB scandal has been described as "one of the world's greatest financial scandals" and declared by the United States Department of Justice as the "largest kleptocracy case to date" in 2016.

The Citizens' Declaration was a declaration issued by an array of Malaysian political leaders on 4 March 2016 to demand Prime Minister Najib Razak's resignation from office. It was launched at a press conference chaired by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

2018 in Malaysia is Malaysia's 61st anniversary of its independence and 55th anniversary of Malaysia's formation.

Mohamed Apandi bin Ali is a Malaysian lawyer and politician who was the Attorney General of Malaysia from 2015 to 2018. Six months after assuming office, he cleared then prime minister Najib Razak of any wrongdoing in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and SRC International cases and marked the investigation for "no further action".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jho Low</span> Malaysian fugitive businessman scammer

Low Taek Jho, often called Jho Low, is a Malaysian businessman and international fugitive, wanted by authorities in connection with the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal. He has been named the mastermind of the massive fraud, which prosecutors allege was a scheme to siphon US$4.5 billion from 1MDB into Low's personal accounts. He is the beneficiary of numerous discretionary trust assets said by the US government to originate from payments out of the Malaysian 1MDB fund. Low has maintained his innocence and contends that Malaysian authorities are engaging in a campaign of harassment and political persecution due to his prior support of former Prime Minister Najib Razak, whose part in the 1MDB scandal had led to Najib being convicted on seven counts of abuse of power, money laundering and criminal breach of trust.

Events in the year 2020 in Malaysia.

Events in the year 2022 in Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal</span>

The 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal is an ongoing political scandal in Malaysia, in which then-Prime Minister Najib Razak was accused of channeling over RM 2.67 billion into his personal bank accounts from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a government-run strategic development company. 1MDB was overseen by Najib as head of its advisory board. Following repeated calls for resignation by the public, Najib lost power in the 2018 Malaysian general election, and is currently on trial along with several key figures involved.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Najib Razak controversies</span>

Najib Razak is the 6th Prime Minister of Malaysia, the son of former 2nd prime minister Abdul Razak Hussein. One of the most controversial leaders of the 21st century, his period of rule was marked by corruption, an extravagant lifestyle, and crackdown on free speech.

References

  1. ↑ "Man detained over Bukit Mertajam drive-by shooting | New Straits Times". 27 May 2018.
  2. ↑ "Working Together to Protect U.S. Organizations Overseas".
  3. ↑ "Malaysia must wake up to its human trafficking problem". New Mandala. May 24, 2017.
  4. ↑ "US penalises Malaysia for shameful human trafficking record". The Guardian. June 20, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Malaysia considers amending human trafficking law after U.S. report". Reuters. June 29, 2018.
  6. ↑ ZOLKEPLI, FARIK (2019-01-16). "IGP: 2018 crime rate dropped 11.9%, perception of crime unchanged". The Star Online. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
  7. ↑ "6,500 Anggota Polis Baharu Setiap Tahun Untuk Atasi Jenayah - Berita Jenayah | mStar". www.mstar.com.my. Archived from the original on 2017-12-10. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "CIA World Factbook - Malaysia". CIA World Factbook . 13 January 2022.
  9. 1 2 Kimberley L. Thachuk (2007). Transnational Threats. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 134. ISBN   978-0-275-99404-4.
  10. ↑ "36,858 women believed to be prostitutes detained since 2005 - Police".
  11. 1 2 Simon Richmond (2007). Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei . Lonely Planet. pp.  488. ISBN   978-1-74059-708-1.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Consular Information Sheet: Malaysia". Archived from the original on 2011-02-17. Retrieved 2017-06-24. Bureau of Consular Affairs
  13. ↑ Aneace Haddad (2005). A New Way to Pay: Creating Competitive Advantage through the EMV Smart Card Standard. Gower Publishing Ltd. p. 5. ISBN   0-566-08688-3.
  14. ↑ "Malaysia". Transparency.org. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  15. ↑ Tang, Ashley. "Malaysia drops five spots in corruption perceptions index ranking". The Star. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  16. ↑ Darryl S. L. Jarvis (2003). International Business Risk: A Handbook for the Asia-Pacific Region. Cambridge University Press. p. 219. ISBN   0-521-82194-0.
  17. 1 2 Darryl S. L. Jarvis (2003). International Business Risk: A Handbook for the Asia-Pacific Region. Cambridge University Press. p. 220. ISBN   0-521-82194-0.
  18. ↑ 1MDB scandal explained: a tale of Malaysia's missing billions Published by The Guardian on October 25, 2018
  19. ↑ "Former Malaysia PM Najib Razak found guilty of all 7 charges in 1MDB trial". Channel News Asia . 28 July 2020. Archived from the original on 29 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  20. ↑ "Najib Razak: Former Malaysian PM guilty on all charges in corruption trial". BBC News . 28 July 2020. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  21. ↑ "Ex-Malaysian PM Najib gets 12 years' jail in 1MDB-linked graft trial". The Straits Times . 28 July 2020. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  22. ↑ "Former Malaysia PM Najib Razak sentenced to 12 years in jail following guilty verdict in 1MDB trial". Channel NewsAsia . 28 July 2020. Archived from the original on 29 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.