The court system in Malaysia has its origins in the 1807 charter known as the First Charter of Justice, whereby the British East India Company obtained the right to establish a permanent Court of Judicature in the settlement of Penang. The Malaysian legal system is based on English common law. Violent crime involving tourists and expatriates in Malaysia is relatively uncommon. Petty theft, particularly purse snatching and pick-pocketing, and residential burglaries are the most common criminal activity directed against foreigners.