Former inspector-general of police Musa Hassan today said the country's low crime statistics may be a result of people refusing to lodge police reports over criminal incidents.

"Even though the statistics show that crime is low, many people are afraid and do not want to make a police report.

"Sometimes, the problem is that people do not trust the authorities. They say that even if they were to make a report, it would be pointless," he said in an interview on MACC.fm, a radio station run by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

Musa said he agreed with the perception that for every 10 crimes, only one is reported.

"Sometimes it is not just victims of crime [...] people are afraid to even just give information.

"The informants would be found out […] who gave out the information?" he said.

As such, Musa said it was important that enforcement officers have high integrity.

Musa said during his tenure as inspector-general from 2006 to 2010, he had sought to make police reports easier to make for the public.

"In the past, there were many ways to lodge police reports. People could go to the police station, make a phone call or even send an text message.

"When an officer receives the text message, he can convert it into a police report. Even letters would do.

"If it is easy and convenient, then it will not be difficult (for people to lodge police reports.

"But if it is made difficult, then people will be lazy to do so," he said.