‘Criminology’ in Malaysia

Abstract

This chapter provides a critical exploration of the nature, methodological approach and themes of contemporary research on crime, deviance and victimisation in Malaysia. It acknowledges the discipline is not fully fledged as in other parts of the Global North and South whilst focusing upon socio-legal studies which highlight the conflicts between religious and secular norms and criminal codes. Core criminological topics such as in policing or imprisonment are conspicuously absent from the academy in Malaysia. Better attention has been given to female-centric issues, particularly around sexual offences although even here we witness the impact of authoritarianism and some examples of narrow punitive discourses. Such punitive stances include a tendency to view certain populations (illegal immigrants, absent mothers, unemployed, etc.) as criminogenic often without a critical sociological awareness of the contested and politicised processes which serve to marginalise such populations.