MALAYSIA recorded an 11.1 per cent increase in crime last year, with a total of 58,255 cases reported in 2024, up from 52,444 in the previous year, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
The surge was primarily attributed to a rise in property-related offences, which rose by 12.4 per cent to 47,188 cases, and assault crimes, which increased by 5.9 per cent to 11,067 cases.
“Despite the overall rise, the report recorded a positive development in homicide cases, with intentional homicides declining by 9.5% to 237 cases, while non-intentional homicides remained unchanged at two cases,” DOSM stated, as reported by Bernama.
Kidnapping cases also fell marginally, with 17 incidents recorded, 11 of which involved children.
Sexual crimes presented a mixed trend. Overall rape cases increased by 12.1 per cent to 1,899. Notably, non-forcible rape rose by 29.3 per cent, while rape involving force declined by 15.3 per cent, indicating possible changes in victim reporting behaviour or patterns of perpetration.
Robbery cases saw a positive shift, declining by 6.8 per cent to 4,276 incidents. The majority involved individual victims (41.7%), followed by general robberies (38.2%), institutional targets (13.5%), and vehicle-related robberies (6.7%).
House break-ins and thefts dropped slightly by 1.8 per cent, with 77.6 per cent of these crimes occurring during nighttime hours.
Drug-related offences continued to rise, with 81,090 cases reported – a 10.6 per cent increase. “Drug supply cases rose by 4.6%, while possession cases jumped by 12.7%, reflecting intensified enforcement and possibly increased substance use,” DOSM noted.
Bribery cases showed a concerning spike, rising by 24.6 per cent with 764 arrests made. “(Cases of) giving bribes rose sharply by 51.2%, while (cases of) accepting bribes increased by 20.3%, highlighting ongoing efforts to combat graft,” the statement added.
Economic crimes also rose, with 2,243 instances of misappropriation of controlled goods recorded — a 19.1 per cent year-on-year increase. Diesel was the most commonly misappropriated item (30%), followed by petrol (26.7%), cooking oil (19.8%), sugar (10.1%), liquefied petroleum gas (9.1%), and wheat flour (4.45%).
Offences relating to health and safety at work recorded the steepest increase, jumping 71.1 per cent to 296 cases. The manufacturing sector accounted for 57.4 per cent of these breaches, followed by construction (27.4%) and business services (8.1%).
Animal-related crimes remained minimal, with 12 cases involving cruelty or welfare violations. Sea robberies were entirely absent in 2024, compared to one case the year before.
Correctional statistics showed a sharp rise in the prison population, with a 28.4 per cent increase in convicted individuals, bringing the total to 128,916. Males made up 90.9 per cent of the prison population. - October 17, 2025
