Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM): Structure and Role

Stop at a roadblock, report a theft, or file a misconduct complaint — all of it ends at the door of a single body: the Royal Malaysia Police. Unlike many countries that split policing between state and federal forces, Malaysia gathers everything, from patrol police to intelligence, under one centralised chain of command.

What establishes PDRM?

PDRM is incorporated under the Police Act 1967 (Act 344). Section 3 provides that the force “shall … be employed in and throughout Malaysia” to maintain law and order, preserve the peace and security of the country, prevent and detect crime, apprehend and prosecute offenders, and collect security intelligence.

This makes PDRM a national and centralised force — its jurisdiction covers the whole of Malaysia including its territorial waters, not just a single state. Its headquarters is at Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur, and the force operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN).

Who holds command?

Section 4 of the Police Act 1967 places the force “under the command of an Inspector General” — the Inspector General of Police (IGP) — who must be a police officer and is “responsible to the Minister” for the control and direction of the force. A Deputy Inspector General of Police is appointed to act under his direction and may exercise the functions of the IGP in his absence.

The chain of leadership appointments — the IGP, the Deputy, the Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners — is provided for under Section 5. The general duties of each member are set out in Section 20: to obey the lawful orders of superior officers and to carry out the purposes of Section 3(3), including apprehending offenders, processing security intelligence and conducting prosecutions.

How are its ranks structured?

PDRM has 18 rank levels divided into two broad categories. The Police Act 1967 defines a senior police officer as a rank from IGP down to probationary Inspector, and a junior police officer from Sub-Inspector down to Corporal.

Category	Rank (highest → lowest)
Senior Police Officer	Inspector General of Police (IGP) · Deputy Inspector General · Commissioner · Deputy Commissioner · Senior Assistant Commissioner · Assistant Commissioner · Superintendent · Deputy Superintendent · Assistant Superintendent · Inspector · Probationary Inspector
Junior Police Officer & Constable	Sub-Inspector · Sergeant Major · Sergeant · Corporal · Lance Corporal · Constable · Probationary Constable

What are its main departments?

At Bukit Aman, PDRM’s work is distributed across 10 main departments, each headed by a director holding the rank of Commissioner or equivalent.

Department	Core function
Management Department	Administration, human resources and corporate affairs
Criminal Investigation Department (JSJ)	Criminal investigation and prosecution
Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (JSJN)	Drug-related offences
Commercial Crime Investigation Department (JSJK)	White-collar and commercial crime
Logistics and Technology Resource Department	Financial, logistics and technology support
Internal Security & Public Order Department (JKDNKA)	Operations wing, public order control
Special Branch	Intelligence and security affairs
Integrity and Standards Compliance Department (JIPS)	Internal integrity and complaints
Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department	Crime prevention and community safety
Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department	Enforcement of traffic laws

Who oversees the police?

In addition to internal discipline under the direction of the IGP, two statutory bodies oversee the conduct of enforcement personnel:

• Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC) — the body dedicated to PDRM under Act 839 (2022). The Act received Royal Assent on 8 October 2022, was gazetted on 18 October 2022, came into force on 1 July 2023, and the IPCC began operating on 1 November 2023. It monitors, investigates and handles complaints of misconduct by PDRM members, and tables an annual report to Parliament.
• Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) — established under Act 700 (2009), gazetted 3 September 2009 and in force from 1 April 2011. The EAIC has jurisdiction over 21 enforcement agencies and may receive complaints, conduct investigations, and refer disciplinary or criminal cases to the relevant authorities.

What’s next

• File a misconduct complaint through the IPCC or EAIC portal, or the JIPS channel within PDRM itself.
• Read the full text of the Police Act 1967 (Act 344) for the complete provisions on powers and discipline.
• Consult the official page of each department at rmp.gov.my for detailed functions and contacts.

Note: The names of office-holders (for example the current Inspector General of Police) change from time to time; this article focuses on offices and structure, not individuals. All section references are based on the Police Act 1967 (Act 344).