KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 20 — The crime index for the whole country has reduced by between 4.2 per cent and 12.6 per cent from 2011 to 2015 but public perception of the police force has remained unchanged, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.

"Some among us do not want to acknowledge the fact that the police have discharged their duty well. At the same time, some media also do not want to acknowledge this fact and achievement,” he said when replying to a question from Senator Chia Song Cheng in the Dewan Negara.

Chia had wanted to know the crime statistics for the whole country and the efforts of the Home Ministry to improve public perception of the fight against crime.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the home minister, said the drop in the crime index was the result of crime-reduction programmes undertaken by the police through various approaches, including prevention, combating and prosecution.

"The police always strive to reduce the crime index and are committed to cooperating with all enforcement agencies to achieve targets,” he said. — Bernama