The health ministry’s recent proposal to raise the vape excise tax by a whopping 900% from 40 sen to RM4 per millilitre, before implementing a full ban, has sparked intense debate. While the intention to protect public health and prevent youth addiction is commendable, such drastic measures carry serious criminological implications that deserve equal attention….
The recent sanctions imposed by Fifa on the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) have shaken Malaysian football to its very core. Allegations that FAM submitted ‘doctored documentation’ for seven of its so-called ‘heritage’ players are not only scandalous but a national heartbreak. For decades, Malaysians have rallied behind the national football team as a symbol…
Crime data is more than a record of unlawful acts. It is a critical tool for shaping justice, safety and effective public policy. In criminology, such data helps guide efforts to understand criminal behaviour, allocate resources and assess the impact of law enforcement and social interventions. Yet in Malaysia, access to crime data remains limited…
The recent proposal by Kelantan police chief, Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat, that underage girls – not just their male counterparts – who are involved in consensual sexual activity should also be prosecuted raises serious legal, ethical, and policy concerns. While his intention to address the rising trend of teenage sexual activity is understandable, the solution…
What deters crime, pain or principle? This question lies at the centre of an increasingly urgent conversation about justice and punishment in Malaysia. For decades, the nation has upheld judicial caning as a tool not only of legal enforcement but of symbolic state authority – a ritualistic expression of control, discipline, and swift justice. The…
The Royal Malaysian Police, Royal Malaysian Customs Department, or branches of the armed forces that bear the “royal” designation often remind us of honour, duty and service to the nation. This is not merely a bureaucratic label. In Malaysia, the label “royal” signifies a direct association with the Yang diPertuan Agong, and the sovereignty of…
The Education Ministry’s plan to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems in boarding schools has been welcomed as a step towards safer campuses. It signals that student safety is a priority. From a criminological perspective, this reflects situational crime prevention – making misconduct less attractive by increasing the perception of surveillance. Cameras in dormitories, halls, and…
he incident at the Perak state-level National Day celebration in Ipoh today, where a woman breached the main stage and came dangerously close to the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, is unsettling. Although the suspect was unarmed and believed to have a history of psychiatric treatment, the matter cannot be dismissed as a mere…
