Vehicle theft in Malaysia reduced by 37% last year – Proton Wira still most stolen



According to Vehicle Theft Reduction Council (VTREC), a non-profit organisation dedicated to – as the name suggests – reducing car theft in Malaysia, the average numbers of vehicles reported stolen daily has reduced from 32 in 2019 to 20 last year, representing a 37% drop.

The council’s coordinator, Mas Tina Abdul Hamid while speaking at the launch of this year’s PDRM-VTREC Vehicle Theft Public Awareness Campaign yesterday, said that 7,400 cases were reported last year compared to 11,675 cases in 2019. Among those, 3,993 were motorcycles, 2,981 cases were private cars, and 426 commercial vehicles.

For cars, the Proton Wira once again topped the lists with 353 units stolen. Despite its low value in the used car market, these cars are being rampantly nicked to be cannibalised and sold for parts, as they are not being made by OEMs any more.

The list is followed by the Proton Iswara, which saw 273 units reported as stolen last year, and the Toyota Hilux in third place with 209 units being reported as stolen. As reported by The Star, other vehicles in the Top 10 most-stolen list last year include the Perodua Myvi (131), Perodua Kancil (114), Proton Saga (110), Proton Waja (104), Honda Civic (85), Honda City (75) and Toyota Vellfire (60).

According to VTREC statistics, Selangor contributed the highest vehicle theft record in 2020 with 2,332 cases, followed by Kuala Lumpur (1,572), Johor (1,006), Kedah (495) and Sarawak (454).

Despite the drop in vehicle thefts, the police says that more can still be done to raise awareness. Bukit Aman CID (Intelligence/operations) deputy director Deputy Commissioner Datuk Dev Kumar, who was also at the event, said that car theft syndicates frequently change their modus operandi, using increasingly sophisticated gadgets to steal cars.

“We also have to evolve to keep up with the trend and not allow them to have an upper hand over the police,” he told reporters after attending the event.

The Vehicle Theft Public Awareness Campaign is aimed to educate and create awareness among vehicle owners and road users to protect their vehicle from theft. VTREC believes that the number of vehicle theft can be further reduced if the public stay vigilant and take measures in protecting their own vehicles.

“Having additional security measures, such as steering and pedal locks as well as dashboard cameras, can act as a deterrent. While we are constantly taking action against such syndicates, the public must also do their part and not provide easy opportunities that thieves could take advantage of,” Comm Dev Kumar added.