Crimes & Unemployment..

Unemployment & Crimes

Unemployment and crime are very closely interlinked. Studies in the West
have shown that the economic situation in a country is closely linked to
crime trends. Similarly a local study conducted by Abdul Aziz and Hj.
Ahmad Ragib (1987) have similarly concluded that there is a significant
correlation between employment and property crime in the police
districts.

A more recent study by Mohd Sabri (2002) showed that the
effects of unemployment to property crime could be seen by the rise in
property crimes during the economic downturn in 1997. He went on to
show that 75 % of those convicted of crimes did so due to
unemployment and difficulty in finding a higher paying job.

The study also showed that amongst the convicted criminals 43 % of them did so
to upkeep their drug related habits. Thus it can be seen that property
crime offenders were mainly unemployed or holding low paying jobs and
were involved in crime to supplement their drug related habits.

The above findings are further verified by the statistics, obtained
from the Prisons Department, showing the relationship between low paying
jobs to involvement in crime.

It can be seen from below figure that the percentage
of criminals earning below the Malaysian Real per Capita Income of RM
13,70845 (which makes it to RM 1,142 per month) is alarming i.e approx.
95%.

Monthly Income(RM) Total Prisoners Percentage

Unemployed 8,543 17.3 %
Below 250 4,027 8.2 %
250 – 500 11,880 24.1 %
500-750 14,778 30.0 %
750 – 1000 7,573 15.5 %
1000 – 1500 1,696 3.4 %
1500 – 3000 746 1.5 %

Total 49, 243 100 %




Info's Taken:

The Malaysian Quality of Life Report 2004, Economic Planning Unit, Prime Minister’s Dept.
Malaysia
Statistics from Prisons Department, Malaysia.
Census 2000 Report, Statistics Dept. www.statistics.gov.my
Keynote address by Dato Seri Samy Vellu, MIC President, at the MIC National Workshop for
Divisional Youth Leaders and launch of Anti-Violence Campaign on 8 / 10 / 2000 in Kuala Lumpur.