“I think this is only half the number. I expect the figure to rise to 500. These are my own officers, of various ranks.

“Hitherto, this problem (of drug abuse) was not addressed properly. As the chief of the police force, I am concerned about this issue. As such, I am working to clean up the force,” he said during a question-and-answer session which Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin held with the Malaysian diaspora at the Malaysian Embassy here.

Hamid said the problem of drug abuse in Malaysia had reached a “critical” level and efforts had been stepped up to combat the menace.

He said criminal cases in Malaysia such as snatch thefts, thefts and robberies were linked to drug abuse.

“It is undeniable that almost all of those arrested are drug abusers. Therefore, we have had to intensify efforts to fight drug abuse,” he said.

On the perception of the fear of crime among Malaysians and foreign tourists, Hamid said the police force was collaborating with Universiti Malaya to conduct a study.

“We want to find out whether the fear of crime is real or not. The study is expected to be completed in April next year,” he said.

Meanwhile, Muhyiddin said the home ministry would intensify efforts to enhance the sense of feeling safe among Malaysians and foreign tourists.

“Various efforts have been implemented, including increasing sophisticated equipment and enhancing the omnipresence of police personnel to reduce crime.

“To say that we have not done anything is not correct. We have achieved a certain level in terms of managing crime, but we will improve and do better,” he said.

Muhyiddin had led the Malaysian delegation to the 13th Asean Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) and its related meetings here.