RETHINKING URBAN SAFETY THROUGH PERCEIVED SAFETY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN MALAYSIA’S SAFE CITY PROGRAMME
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v24i42.2039Keywords:
Urban Safety, Safe City Programme, CPTED, Community Engagement, Perceived SafetyAbstract
This study evaluates the effectiveness of Malaysia’s Safe City Programme (SCP), with a focus on perceived safety (PS) and community engagement as critical dimensions of urban crime prevention. The primary aim was to assess the social impact of the Safe City Programme (SCP) through two objectives, which are to examine variations in perceived safety across demographic and housing typologies, as well as to evaluate the role of community engagement within the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) framework. A cross-sectional survey of 10,076 urban residents from 14 Malaysian states was conducted to collect quantitative data. The results indicate that Safe City Programme (SCP) infrastructure-based strategies, such as improved lighting and surveillance, enhance perceptions of safety, particularly among men and residents of low-density, high-income housing. However, fear of crime remains prevalent, particularly among women and residents of lower-income neighbourhoods. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in perceived safety (PS) across gender and housing type. Notably, community engagement emerged as the weakest-performing CPTED component, indicating limited public participation in the Safe City Programme (SCP) initiatives. These findings highlight the disparity between the Safe City Programme (SCP) top-down approach and CPTED’s participatory ethos. The paper concludes by recommending a shift towards inclusive, context-sensitive strategies that integrate community voices to foster long-term, sustainable urban safety.
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