Background

Neighbourhood Watch is a voluntary programme aimed to assist in community development in Malaysia. An Act was legislated in Parliament and effective 22 June 2012 is known as the Neighbourhood Watch Act 2012 and comprises acts relating to Neighbourhood Watch and Voluntary Patrol Scheme.

Neighbourhood Watch is a volunteer committee under the supervision of the Department of National Unity and Integration. The establishment focuses on residential areas in the city, suburbs and high risk areas. The main role of Neighbourhood Watch is to organise groups for patrol duty at night to reduce crime in surrounding neighbourhoods. Members of the patrol group usually consist of community members in the neighbourhoods. In addition, each KRT is encouraged to organise as many community, welfare, education activities as they like in addition to programmes to enhance racial unity and integration in Malaysia.

These activities aims to enable local people to get acquainted, to help each other in the time of need, interact and foster closer ties at the grassroots between leaders and the people and between people of different ethnicity, customs and culture.