Last year, more than 7,000 vehicles were stolen in Malaysia. While this number does sound quite alarming, it’s actually a huge improvement over 2019’s number. In 2020, the reduction in car theft was at 37%. Most of these, nearly 4,000 in fact, were motorcycles. Almost 3,000 of these were private cars. The remaining 400+ stolen vehicles were commercial vehicles. All in all, that’s about 20 vehicles stolen a day nationwide. This is down from 32 a day in 2019.
These numbers were taken from Insurance Services Malaysia and the Vehicle Theft Reduction Council (VTREC).
For private cars, the most stolen car remains the Proton Wira, with the Proton Iswara coming in second and the Toyota Hilux just about making podium. I find this really interesting as the Wira has been out of production since 2009, the Iswara since around 2008 with both cars already being surpassed in sales numbers by the Perodua Myvi.
Bukit Aman CID Deputy Director Dev Kumar said, “we must also evolve with them and not allow them to have the upper hand over the police.”
The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) and VTREC have recently strengthened cooperation to combat vehicle theft around the time the numbers above were shared. Here’s more about that and VTREC in general.
PRESS RELEASE
VTREC and PDRM Strengthen Co-operation to Combat Vehicle Theft
Vehicle Theft Reduction Council of Malaysia and Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) meeting was held today on co-operation to combat vehicle theft.
The panel discussion was focused on public awareness campaigns and engagements as the main ways to interact with the public and to get the vehicle theft awareness message out to people, to educate the public and to change their behaviour in protecting their vehicles.
The participants also exchange views on how to ensure the effectiveness of the campaign by amplifying the strength and effectiveness of their planning and create synergies to roll out the campaign.
This joint action provides a perfect chance for VTREC and PDRM to showcase how non-government entity and PDRM able to work closely together on focus initiatives to bring down rate of vehicle theft nationwide. As for statistics, since 2013 to 2020 vehicle theft has reduced around 60%, with further initiatives to contain the crime, vehicle theft graph can be pushed further down.
ABOUT THE VEHICLE THEFT REDUCTION COUNCIL
Inception
During the Dialogue Session between Bank Negara Malaysia with members of Persatuan Insurans Am Malaysia (PIAM) in 2004, PIAM mooted the idea of forming the Vehicle Theft Reduction Council of Malaysia Berhad (VTREC).
The National Seminar on Vehicle Theft held in December 2005 organised by Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM)/PIAM , resolved:
- Formation of VTREC
- Sharing of information between stakeholders
- Adoption of the revised Motor Insurance Tariff
- Automation of detection at exit points
VTREC was incorporated as a Company limited by guarantee on 30th April 2007.
Role
- Study weaknesses in the automobile industries
- Facilitate cooperation and implement recommendations between stakeholders
- Develop/advocate proposals for change across government and non-government sectors
- Prepare and implement actions plans and recommendations of the Council
- Coordinate public education campaigns, theft prevention research
- Monitor theft reduction and provide reports to relevant authorities
- As a Forum to recommend suggestion to the relevant ministries resolution achieved by the council to overcome weakness in the automobile industries
