PETALING JAYA: A coordinated effort among various agencies and trade groups has led to a drastic reduction in the theft of motor vehicles.
A total of 35,953 cases of vehicle theft were reported last year, compared with 42,158 in 2017 and 48,411 in 2016. A total of 12,710 cases have been reported from January to May this year.
Criminal Investigations Department (CID) director Datuk Huzir Mohamed attributed the improvement to close collaboration among members of the Vehicle Theft Reduction Council of Malaysia (VTREC).
VTREC, which was incorporated in 2007, is a group of 10 state authorities and trade organisations, comprising the police, Customs Department, Road Transport Department, Puspakom, Bank Negara Malaysia and Ministry of Transport.
The trade organisations in the group are General Insurance Association of Malaysia, Malaysia Takaful Association, Malaysian Automotive Association and Association of Malaysian Loss Adjusters.
Huzir, who spoke at the launch of a public awareness campaign on vehicle theft at Bukit Aman today, said motorcycles remain the more frequently stolen vehicles.
In 2016, of all the vehicles stolen, 34,754 were motorcycles, 10,607 were cars and 3,050 were commercial vehicles. In 2017, a total of 31,577 motorcycles, 8,482 cars and 2,099 commercial vehicles were stolen. Last year, 26,779 motorcycles, 7,413 cars and 1,671 commercial vehicles were stolen.
As of May, 9,308 motorcycles, 2,721 cars and 681 commercial vehicles have been stolen.
Huzir said the collaboration among the various parties in VTREC has helped the police identify weaknesses, enhance strategic cooperation among stakeholders and create awareness among vehicle owners on the risks involved.
