THE national crime index has fallen by 47% since government initiatives were introduced six years ago, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today, attributing the drop to the Government Transformation Programme brought about by Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Despite the fall in reported crime, Zahid acknowledged that the general public still did not feel safe and were still sceptical of government data related to crime.

“This is a very big challenge because the public does not believe the government’s crime statistics. This has a lot to do with perception,” Zahid, who is also the Home Minister, said at the forum: Addressing Perception On Safety And Security, in Kuala Lumpur.

“The government and the public are seeing it from a different perspective. The police is rated as one of the best police forces in Asean and is internationally recognised, but perception is a different matter.

“Just an hour ago, only 20% gave us a good rating,” he spoke of forum attendees during a Q&A session.

Zahid said the government was still committed to training law enforcement officers and improving the regulatory framework to combat crime.

“Many are not be aware that (during the period crime dropped) I was appointed Home Minister and Khalid Abu Bakar was appointed Inspector-General of Police,” he said, but added crime prevention was not the sole purview of the authorities.

“The community has an important role. Crime prevention involves individuals, businesses, organisations and all levels of government,” he said. – July 26, 2017.