A MULTIDIMENSIONAL CRIME INDEX (MCI-PDRM) FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY IN MALAYSIA: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJLGC.1144017Keywords:
Crime Index, Safety and Security, Multidimensional Measurement, Systematic Literature Review, MalaysiaAbstract
This study explores the development of a multidimensional crime index to measure safety and security in Malaysia using a systematic literature review method. Conventional crime data, which may not fully reflect aspects of public safety, social well-being, fear of crime, environmental vulnerability, cyber risk, and broader community resilience, are often overemphasized by current crime measurement systems. As a result, there is an increasing demand for a more comprehensive and integrated crime index structure that can represent current security issues in Malaysia. Relevant scholarly articles, policy reports and institutional publications were systematically retrieved and analysed from a large academic database using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) technique. The main dimensions and theoretical underpinnings used in previous crime index and security assessment research in the Malaysian and international contexts are summarised in this study. The results show that several interrelated domains, such as violent crime, property crime, cybercrime, public disorder, perceptions of safety, socio-economic determinants, urban environmental conditions, and government effectiveness, are often included in multidimensional crime measurements. Significant research gaps in the Malaysian context are also identified through the assessment, particularly the inadequate integration of subjective and objective safety indicators in current frameworks for measuring crime. In response, this study offers a conceptual framework for creating a multifaceted crime index that can assist in sustainable community development, evidence-based policymaking, urban governance, and crime prevention tactics. By encouraging more rigorous methods of assessing safety and security beyond conventional crime data, the proposed framework adds to the literature on criminology and public policy. Finally, this study offers useful suggestions for improving the management of national safety and security in Malaysia for scholars, policymakers, local authorities, and law enforcement.
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