(Oct 21): Crime rates could increase over the next two years as the economy slows down, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said.

The Star reported Nur Jazlan urging police and the public to be more vigilant against snatch thefts and muggings.

"Although there has been success in reducing crime in these areas, the dampened state of the economy is likely to see a rise in crimes of opportunity in the next one or two years," he was quoted in an answer in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Adding that crimes were usually unplanned, Nur Jazlan said that police and the public must work together to prevent them.

He said there was a reduction in the national crime index under the National Key Results Areas since 2009.

A total of 186,162 crimes were recorded in 2010 but this went down to  166,295 in 2011, 153,669 in 2012, 147,062 in 2013 and 128,544 last year, The Star reported, quoting the deputy minister. – The Malaysian Insider