Is Malaysia safe for a single female to live a work in long term?

Hi Lunie,

Unfortunately there is quite a high rate of crime in Malaysia, although to be honest there is a similar rate of crime in most other Asian countries with the exception of Japan, Taiwan and Singapore. Yes, these days a lot of internet crime originates from Malaysia. There are scams going on all the time where selected victims are asked to send large amounts of money in order to get a working visa as a prerequisite to beginning a new job. These are particularly common with hotel jobs such as with the Marriott and the Gardens.

Snatch thieves have been around for quite a while, and kidnapping of children is in the headlines from time to time. Even expatriate children are occasionally kidnapped. Sex crimes are in the newspaper all the time, but in general expatriates are not really targeted.

Taxi's have always been a concern and I would stick to taking the slightly more expensive blue premier taxi's rather than the normal red and white ones which often can be unpleasant.

I think that despite all this, Malaysia is no worse than other Asian countries and if you practice caution then you should not have a problem.

Mike

I've been living in Malaysia for about 6 years..and still feel a bit scare too take a taxi by my self or walk by myself even in a day time..It's not that I'm paranoid. It's just the fact that lots of cases where womens get attacked when they're alone.
If I have to take a taxi I would choose the Blue Premieer taxi just like MikeWallace77 said. Pay more but I think it much safer.

Dear Mike abd Month,
Thanks for such useful information. I will bear in mind all of your advices. I guess my future life in Malaysia is gonna be so bored as there might only be 2 destinations for heading every day, office and home. Dangers will always be out there and I have myself alone ;(. By the way, Do you know anything about Damansara area? Someone told me it's a safe place to stay but I wonder if it is too far from klcc where I will soon be working around?  Should I live there and pick the train to go to work?

Hi Lunie,

Absolutely don't live in Damansara as it is mostly a place for families

If you are working in the KLCC area then I would suggest to either rent an apartment in that area or else rent in Bukit Bintang. Both are nice areas for single people who want to live where it's all happening. Of course it depends on your budget for a place to live, but reasonable places to live are Hampshire Residence and Hampshire Place. Hampshire Place has some nice cozy one bedroom units for as low as RM3.2 - 3.5k, quite stylish and just 5 minutes walk to KLCC. But Bukit Bintang is much more exciting and somewhat less expensive as far as rents go. Some cheaper condos rent for as little as RM2k for a 780sf one bedroom apartment. The area is the Golden triangle and much better for a single person. Just my two cents worth....

Lunie, Last year there started to be an increase in people saying that Malaysia is violent and dangerous to live in. Some of it came from a commercial website that was trying to get traffic by publishing sensational headlines that people would easily find. Some of the keywords had nothing to with crime, but it served their purpose.

I think the perception there is more petty crime has not been proven statistically. Most major crime is unlikely to be against foreigners. The reason I have this opinion is that during the last year the Police and others have had a bit operation to control organised crime, gangs, triads, etc. There were some violent arrests and deaths and also some assassinations related to that operation.  At the same time, the local authorities started beautifying and securing areas, by erecting metal mesh fencing and plants along many roads. Some people automatically associated this with an increase in crime that had to be curbed.

Yes there are bag and phone snatchings but whether there are more or less it would be interesting to see some statistics. There was also a general election and of course crime was used by politicians to try and gain advantage. As far as I can remember (I read the English language local papers and the internet) there are usually 2 or 3 major crimes against foreigners per year. The police are very aware that there is a perception people are not safe, therefore more officers have been put on the streets, alongside Rela (civil defence) officers. This is a defensive mechanism and this was also done to observe various problems such as vice (e.g. prostitution, gambling, money lending etc.). Once their observations were completed, the streets have been cleared of many types. The latest crackdown on illegal workers and visitors has also resulted in fewer people who need money being on the streets (they are noticeably quieter, even at midnight and the small hours). So it will be interesting to see what is the overall effect of the various operations that have been taking place.

One great thing about Malaysia is that people get involved in policing and security and if they see things they have a hotline to the police and can report events. Tip offs are also extremely common. This seems to have an effect on the clear up rate for cases. There are also CCTV cameras being erected in many places - we had one close by about 1 month ago. Therefore there is a growing sense that activities are being put in place that have the potential to discourage crime as footage will be available and can often lead to arrest and conviction. 

The majority of Malaysians are probably the most open, courteous and friendly people you would want to meet. So please don't take everything literally, rather get some facts before reaching conclusions.

Living somewhere like Bukit Bintang does afford you quite a bit more freedom, as it is a bustling area day and night and the old adage safety in numbers does seem to apply.  However, an individual can easily control some aspects of their own safety almost completely. Being aware of your surroundings is 100% necessary, not just wandering about in a daze. Also it is commonly known that having eye contact with potential law breakers is more likely to make you the target. There is a new taxi system just started Teksi1M and there are blue executive taxis, as well as ones you can book. These are preferable to some of the other types. If you are ever in doubt, say to get home after an evening out, just ask the doorman to get you a suitable taxi and you can get right into it and off you go home.  There are also some courteous individuals who will be happy to walk you home or help in some ways to protect you. On the theme of nights out, I feel much safer in BB or KL than I ever did in the UK, where there is lots of violence associated with entertainment streets or areas. In short, you can have a good and safe time.

Muggings normal - conversation I over heard with friends of friends last year "I was mugged in the curve last night" "don't report it is normal my gf mugged 12 times no one will do anything" came the response.

Many women don't bother with handbags as muggings too common.

Several colleagues mugged twice (or more). one staff member had window broken in traffic and bag snatched. Another had her cars tyres slashed  when she stopped and told it was normal as they wait for you to open trunk, and when distracted mug you (she had bf and his friends with her that would  have put off the muggers)

I can think of many other such examples with friends, colleagues etc. Normal part of life here and yet crime stats are going down officially. No one believes that!

BTW sex crimes are usually hidden so I am told. Rape is a disgraces (like many countries but worse in Asia) and heard of boys "beaten" in Kampungs for molesting girls. But never gets reported to police. I can believe that.

And taxis.... national disgrace. Druggies, alcoholics and perverts many of them!  I avoid as many issues and so have my female (local) friends. But a new service "my taxi" in an app is better as named taxi picks you up. This gives some security as traceable and hopefully a trend in the right direction. Personally though I got fed up with them either trying to sell me women, drugs and trying to kill me (once). And apart from those with meters on speed! (50 RM for 1 km)

Yes Nemodot paints a pretty clear picture of what it is really like. The local taxis can be very dangerous. Stick to the blue ones which are better.

Did you know that an 11 years old expatriate boy was kidnapped last year at Mont Kiara outisde his International School but released several days later after a ransom was paid. Women with handbags are grabbed from behind by guys on motorbikes and dragged until they die, all for a few ringgit in their handbags, car windows are smashed by guys on motorbikes at traffic lights and bags stolen in a split second.

I have seen an expat guy being beaten by a taxi driver with a weapon outside KLCC while security guards stood around watching. My wife once hailed a taxi and I quickly jumped in, then as soon as the driver heard my voice he stopped his taxi and said he didn't have enough petrol and asked us to get out. It makes you wonder doesn't it?

In fact I have lived in several locations around the Far East and I find Malaysia to be the most dangerous. I personally think that crime is rampant and that not enough is being done about it.

Nevertheless, KL can be an exciting place to live and if you have lots of friends then I wouldn't worry too much. Obviously you need to be careful with taxis, don't carry a handbag alongside the road and don't let yourself get dragged into a car at night.

Unfortunately, this is exactly what gets out in Malaysia. Divide these incidents into 365 days in a year and you will see that there is not much crime.  Did anyone hear about the guy in Singapore who got fired and left Singapore for spreading dissent and lies about who used their public transport system?  Sometimes it is best to avoid hyping up a few statistics and making it sound as if things like it happen to foreigners every day. Bit like all those sports events that take place in Bukit Jalil...... not actually the case - just scaremongering - and note they are all guys.  And I thought women were supposed to be gossips and irrational...... If you want a list of crimes against foreigners in the last year it can be provided.  If you log into say Staronline (newspaper) you can read about the country and what is happening.

Interestingly, none of my circle of friends, acquaintances and colleagues have ever talked about being mugged or bag snatched. One did stop when flagged down and the guy sold her something for her car i.e. the part he removed, repainted and put back - but no violence.

If you are concerned, I suggest you take a self defence course before your arrive and buy a pepper spray. Then you will be prepared for all that regular violence against foreigners........... (bring your calculator to work out the likely frequency).

10% of the staff at my place have been mugged within a year. One twice with a knife in her back. Got cut and bought a car.

10% a year is too high to say being over exaggerated!

we also had a car jacking and an attempted car jacking.

No one believes the crime stats.

We could just ignore the risks, believe that Malaysia is safe, and then when one of our children is kidnapped or our wife dragged into a car by four guys call it bad luck and say that it doesn't happen often.

But since things like this do happen it is sensible to be cautious. For those who feel it is safe then no need to worry. But for those of us with families then of course we are more concerned.

I am afraid the hysteria angle has really kicked in on this particular thread. It would be interesting to know some details. Where the victims Malaysian or expats?  Where did the events take place?  Are there "hot spots" of crime?

To put things into perspective, perhaps compare the situation with say South Africa?

Friend of mine, She's a malay she got robbed somewhere near Taman Sukan Negara while her car stopped at the trafficlight. And my sister's friend came from England with her boyfriend together they took taxi from Ampang to Pudu Raya, On the way to get there taxy driver stopped by the side of the road and 1 guy came inside and treated them with knife and ask to give him everything they had. I don't know if there's any spot of crime ,I just know that incident happened at those area. But I heard many incident happened near Jalan Pudu traffic light. Where 2 mans came closer to window car and smash it inorder to get something precious inside your car such as bags,ipad,handphone or laptop..
In my opinion everyplace are dangers..and in my opinion malaysia is one of the them.

monthirosselini - when did these events take place?  It is important that they raise a Police Report to bring awareness to  particular problem areas or perhaps organised crime.

If people don't take that type of responsibility, then the Police have no way to improve safety.

It would be nice if Malaysia was as safe as other Asian countries.

I did not remember when those incident happened , I think it was last year but I heard both incident has been reported to the police. I hope KL will be a lot safer in the future...I was plan to move back to my home country. I know crime is everywhere but I still feel alot safer there.
Hope everyone have a great evening here

Cheers

Who are "the majority of expats"?  There are a handful of contributors on this thread - so saying it represents the opinion of the majority is hardly accurate. Or is there a study among expats that has reached this conclusion?  Please share more about this as it will at least have some concrete statistics and useful information to read.

I guess that if someone starts a thread about safety and crime in Malaysia, the responses are only going to trend in one particular direction. 

As a longer term expat, I have to say, I am very pleased with the improvements in safety that I have witnessed and the responsiveness of the police and local authority.

Oic, i didn't know that.

But if there has only been two kidnapped expat children in the last 10 years, is there really an escalation of a problem, or is it just in the mind of people?  (The second incident was a child in Bangsar in the summer who was I believe removed by a family member for a period of about 24 hours).

Having worked in potentially extremely dangerous situations, you tend to put things in perspective and understand some of the mechanisms that precede problems.

I still am of the opinion that there is an over-reaction to the reality on the ground, and that its quite easy to convince oneself that there is danger at every turn for expats, when it is just a natural protective reaction. That reaction is not proportional to the incidence of crime.  I guess it may also be useful to define which countries the expats who have been overcome by crime situations come from?  Are they from the region, or from elsewhere in the world?

The official figures are "adjusted" downwards and so reporting has no effect. That is what Malaysians say.

Expats get mugged more in my experience as they walk more. Locals get more car crime as they drive more.

But not like south Africa but then that is a hell hole! Ask the 100,000s of south Africans in London!

Nemo - you mentioned 10% of your colleagues. I think that it is a relevant figure so how many people would that be?  Do you know if more Malaysians or expats were involved? 

To show how the media manipulate the public, do you remember early in 2013 it was splashed across the newspapers etc. that most serious crime in Malaysia was being committed by foreigners?  Several months later this statement was rescinded and it was confirmed that most serious crime was committed by Malaysians.  The ATM heists came into this category.  I think it tends to explain how mass hysteria breaks out.

Just a little perspective is needed and some proper facts - not just supposition and experience.  But as you say, is this crime wave you are referring to just the taxi drivers?  So if a person is the victim of a crime in one particular country, but not in any other, does that mean the country where the crime took place is far more unsafe?

[Moderated]

Guys,
Please take it easy! Thank you all so much for the information. I appreciate your kind opinions on my thread. We might have different points of view about an issue but anyhow I think we just need to be careful all the time, never let our guards down as dangers are everywhere nowaday. Even in some places in my home country where I've never dared to visit alone. Last of all, have you ever wondered where these social issues comes from? If they're not poor, why do they have to do that? Why the more countries in the world develope, the more people become poorer and the more social issues occur? It's weird don't you think? Anyway,  I think governments (big people) should do something.

By the way, thank you for the information 'bout bukit pintang Mike. Well actually, I'm a single person but I prefer a quite and safe condo apartment with 1 bedroom only to stay, not too expensive (about 1500 - 2000 RM should be fine) and not too far from klcc. Do you think BP would be suitable for me?

L.B

Lunie, that is an interesting point " Last of all, have you ever wondered where these social issues comes from? If they're not poor, why do they have to do that?"

There are different theories about this and some are based on the general breakdown of moral behaviour.  This is not always caused by lack of money and some of the poorest can be the most humble people who have exemplary behaviour and are even generous with what they have.

Another theory is that television and gaming is behind the behaviour because time and time again young, impressionable people are seeing violence and antisocial behaviour and in the end they cease to react to it - believing that the real world is like the fantasy they live inside their heads. Another thing is "just because I can".

If people have been repressed, when they become aware they have achieved some freedom, they want to wield it and potentially use their new found power to punish others.

Then there are people who are just made that way for some reason (being born to become a criminal is a hotly debated subject). Of course, damage to the foetus through alcohol and drug or pharmaceuticals misuse (even passive smoking) can have an impact on this, but I am sure we have all experienced people who come from good families with no visible defect, but still they manage to go off the rails.

What is important, is that we do not allow ourselves to be frightened and closed down in what we want to do through "what if something might just happen to me". It is only living half a life - and that is not what is meant to be happening. Spreading gossip about unsubstantiated matters is very destructive and some people believe that if "that is now the normal behaviour" of course there is more danger that they can be tempted to behave in the same self destructive ways that are being banded about. That is why the media has a big responsibility.

It is important to be an optimist and not a pessimist too.

I live in the Bukit Bintang area because I looked around many of the other areas and suburbs and found that BB offered me everything that I wanted, and that includes safety. It is incredibly international, but not in the sense that only wealthy people live in a particular area. It has a mixture of all types, nationalities, backgrounds an this is reflected in the shopping, food and nightlife. In fact, I really enjoy it here as I get to meet lots of Malaysians and for me that is very important to understand the trials and tribulations of a nation. Plus they are generous and sociable. This is why I can write what I have, because I experience BB every day. I will drop you a private message with some ideas of condos that you could consider within your budget.

Hi Lunie,

Try Angkasa Impian II. It could be very suitable. If you prefer a lower price one bedroom apartment then Mutiara Villa Condo is ok, both are in Bukit Bintang.

Mike

Lunie, you should be aware that the access to Angkasa Impian 1 is rather dark, when you approach it from Jalan Tong Shin, which is in the heart of Bukit Bintang.

There are hawker stalls at night and back lanes and you have to walk to a dead end part of the road and go up a long flight of stairs. It is not well lit and a bit remote.

The main access is from Persiaran Raja Chulan. This road does not really lead to any particularly useful areas, and not really to Bukit Bintang. It has the stock exchange and some office buildings on the fringes of China Town.

Because of this, safety and accessibility has been flagged by quite a few expats as an issue, especially for unaccompanied people. If you check out an apartment in that condo (or any other one for that matter) be sure to look at how you can access them, especially at night.  Go and look at night, because they sometimes look very different because as you are probably aware, BB and the City come to life after dark.

Gravitas wrote:

But if there has only been two kidnapped expat children in the last 10 years, is there really an escalation of a problem, or is it just in the mind of people?  (The second incident was a child in Bangsar in the summer who was I believe removed by a family member for a period of about 24 hours).

Or you can say that there has been 2 kidnapping of expat children the last 2 years and that there was none the 8 years before that and draw your conclusions around that.

The latter was not really a criminal abduction in the sense that extracting a ransom was the aim. Therefore we could say there has only been one kidnapping of an expat child in the last 10 years - or perhaps even longer.

Interestingly, according to surveys, expats are more concerned about the possibility of material damage or injury through driving in Malaysia compared to driving in their home country.

Hi Guys,

I don't think we can in any way trivialize the kidnapping of any child whether it was for a ransom or not. The fact is, a 12 year old South African boy was kidnapped just metres away from the entrance of his International School in Mont Kiara, and held for several days, and thank God that he was not harmed and that the gang only wanted a ransom. The trauma that both the boy and his parents must have gone through is unimaginable.

Children do go missing in Malaysia and do permanently disappear or their bodies are found. The fact that we are foreigners living outside our own country means that we must be even more diligent when taking care of our children. As a parent with several children, I would never speak lightly of child kidnappings as a statistic or even that it was only for a ransom. I would do anything to protect them because once they are taken we may never see them again.

Mike

Fortunately the Police conducted affairs in an exemplary manner, that put a prompt end to this particular issue and the court case is on-going (one accused still at large). This is surely a deterrent for others who may be minded to seek financial gain in a similar way. Helping the police by reporting even petty crime, is important, so they are able to respond to any crime hot spots with surveillance, etc.

All crime against any human being is equally deplorable, but it has been shown that the general public plays a big role in preventing crime and solving cases.

Hi Lunie,

If you interested to Live in Bukit Bintang Area, You can try Angkasa Impian 2.
I think it's consider a nice condo, better than Angkasa Impian 1.
Many single and expat with family live there.

Monthi

You mentioned you are afraid to take a taxi alone. Is your worry that the drivers will attack you? The drivers here - in all types of taxis - have been quite polite and easy to deal with compared to other countries. Am I wrong?

I have been in kl for a year and a half now. I have never felt unsafe. I take taxis when needed and had no issues. Maybe one incident so wasnt a big deal. I have lived in dubai for 6 years and its supposed to be a really safe place. Every one out of five times Id have an argument with the cabbie. These incidents happen everywhere, but its good to be vigilant and careful. I work in a large global telecom company and i have had water cooler chats with expats and locals. So far none of them said anything happened to them. Theyve had their spats with cab drivers but nothing serious. But theyve heard "stories". If u listen to some of these stories, majority of the cases, the victims actually r just plain stupid. I think u need to follow some simple rules like dont leave ur bag or laptop in plain sight while driving, women dont walk by themselves at night, keep minimal money with u and ur credit card, etc. Btw 10% of your colleagues got mugged and someone got mugged 12 times hahaha. these r the stupid people im referring to.  Lets say i know a thing or two about the media. They are looking for a sensational story that their editor will agree to publish. There are coverups and ther are exaggerations. Read news and forget about it. If it aint your day, ur screwed. Dont let fear cripple u. I completely (and i mean completely) agree with gravitas views. I think she should tell everyone else to grow a pair :-) Kl is an awesome place, have fun, be careful and stay safe.

Malaysia especially Kuala lumpur was a growing City some 10 to 15 years back. A lot of construction job opportunities and also maids. Then came the indonesian, bangladesh and Myanmar. It is ok for them to come here and work but, the problem is there is less job opportunity in construction now but they do not want to go home instead the bring friends and family here. U can imagine...the men will do anything to survive and the women will do the oldest trade job
The filipino maid comes to kuala lumpur and work and each week a day off.....they like to hang out on their off days where do they go...clubbing and hoping to make some extra money
Now malaysia is slowly flooded with indians from india looking for job in IT with low salary, depriving the locals job opportunity and also specialised expats
In summary if all these people that are not needed or don't have a job , please go home, malaysia will be back to OK again as before and opportunity for expats that are skilled and valued like the old days. That is why if you read news , everyday immigration is arresting and sending people back...it is not cheap to find, arrest, keep in custody, feed, and transport these people back....i hope expats that come to malaysia can see and understand why we malaysians  feel in secure too.
The worse scenario is these people also bring in their culture and stay in flats and they are dirty/
I too hope the immigration will be more strict in allowing employment in malaysia , only the needed ones are welcome and remove as many immigrants as possible ( like allowing indians to come in just because they are willing to accept low salary )
By the way iranians and africans are also not welcome by malaysians and that is why owners don't want to rent property to them
We value expats that is why malaysia has MM2H program that do not add social problem to we malaysian as we have kids that are growing up and we want them to be good citizens

The press writes a lot of sh*t news because crime news and sh*t are easy to get. Writing on beneficial stuff and substance like technology,  economy and other related stuff is not easy to the reporters. So to make the newspaper thick and easy to market....they fill in all the nonsense which eventually will give a negative impact to readers that do not live in malaysia their whole life

It is the same as any other country, social problems due to immigrants like UK....a safe place to live...go to brunei

I agree darulehsan. 
Kuala Lumpur is just another area in Malaysia - vibrant, exciting, lively and may be dangerous to anyone, at the wrong place at the wrong time - not the whole of Malaysia. A more peaceful alternative - Seremban - not much crime happening here, hardly any sensational stories of muggings, kidnappings or rape, except the usual shenanigans by drug addicts. In other parts of the world you get drunks causing problems.

I guess it is the same all over the world. Expisure has all to do with the press.
when I was in milan...my friend lost his wallet. Pickpocket

well it depends where r u from and honestly depends how u look like and how u dress . i mean what would attract men more right? u know what I mean?