Malaysia is a very good tourist destination. Whether you are travel to East or West Malaysia, you will sense a strong Muslim culture. The local people are friendly and most of the food are very yummy. However, there are still some things you need to pay attention to in order for you to have a safe and pleasant trip.
The most common crimes encountered in Malaysia are different from those in European cities. Rarely there are trained pickpockets or various other tricks that they used to scam tourists. The most common crimes are snatching and robbing.
Be Alert When Go to Tourist Hotspots
When you visit the popular tourist attractions in Kuala Lumpur, you must always be aware of your personal security and take care of your belongings.
There are many cases involved in looting by snatch thieves that happened in a number of attractions in the city, especially in Kuala Lumpur. If you are going to Malaysia by touring package, then the local tour guides will always remind you to remain alert and watch out your valuables when you are outside.
Hotspots For Crime
Those popular places for snatch thieves to commit crimes are include Kuala Lumpur’s Independence Square, National Monument, and National Mosque.
Among them, Kuala Lumpur’s Independence Square, which is located along the roadside, is easy to become a place for snatch thieves to commit crimes. Those snatch thieves normally riding a motorbike. Some of them will do it alone, while some will have accomplices with 2 or 3 motors together.
Tourists especially female tourists who carry a handbag with them are the types that snatch thieves love to target. Once they identified their targets, they will found a chance to get closer to them.
When the victims are not aware of their dangerous situation, the snatch thieve will suddenly accelerate their motor riding pass the victims and grab their handbags. Once they managed to grab the bag, they will get off the scene very fast.
Beware of Fake police
Some local tour guides pointed out that in addition to the snatch theft cases, some tourists encountered fake police requests to check their bags. Without much suspicion, they will simply hand over their bags to the fake police. Once the bags were in their hand, the fake polices will quickly snatch them and run away.
Your Belongings Can Get Snatched Even While You Are Eating
Sometimes it is not even comfortable when the tourists are having their meal. There are cases where some tourists were sitting outside the restaurant and their valuables were snatched and robbed by snatch thieves are ride through beside them with their motorbike. This has caused tourists to be frightened and make a loss for their belongings.
Snatch Thieves Who Aimed At Car Drivers
If you visit Malaysia and decided to drive yourself by renting a car, you should be aware as well when you are driving on the road.
There are snatch thieves who are riding motorcycles and they are target cars who put their valuables at the passenger seat.
Once they identified your car has a bag placed on the passenger seat, they will start following you. When you are stopped at a traffic light, it’s the time they will come close to your car. The guy who sits behind the motorcycle will smash your car windows and grab your bags.
This can happen in just a couple of seconds. You may have no idea what’s going on in the first place, the time you realized you have been robbed, the snatch thieves have been long gone.
What Kind Of Prevention You Can Take?
1. Avoid To Walk Alone
The best way to prevent this type of crime is to try not to go out alone, better to have someone accompanied you all the time so that you can take care of each other if anything happens.
2. Don’t Go To A Dark Place
Don’t go to a place that is too dark or secluded as these places can make you easily become the target of the criminal.
3. Put Your Belongings In The Bus
If you are travel with a tour guide and tour bus, then you can put your belongings inside the bus as the driver will taking care of them.
Do not worry about the bus driver as most of them are responsible to take good care of tourist valuables.
4. Carry A Backpack or Bag With Zipper
Some local people suggest that tourists must improve their sense of security, keep their eyes open when traveling, lock the bags with zippers, take care of the bags, and advise them to carry backpacks that are less likely to be snatched.
5. Don’t Get Too Close To The Street
When walking on the street, try not to get too close to the street. Also, try to walk with you face the opposite direction of the traffic (Malaysia is having the driveway at the left side). This is because snatch thieves generally ride motorcycles to grab passers-by’s handbags, cellphones, cameras or jewelry.
Such crime often can endanger the victim as it will inadvertently injure the victim where they may get tow by motorcycle or fall down and injured their bodies. Some people were lost their lives due to serious injuries.
6. Don’t Expose Your Valuables to Public
Don’t expose too much of your cash money to avoid being seen by unscrupulous people. Especially when you are standing or walking on the roadside. Also, you should try not to get too close to the road when talking with your mobile phone, it is easy to be snatched.
In Summary, you should remember:
- Do not bring along large amounts of cash.
- Do not place handbags or purses in baskets or shopping carts.
- Don’t walk alone in a quiet place.
- Do not wear a lot of jewelry.
- Carry a whistle and pepper spray with you.
If a crime just happens to you, What you can do is:
- Don’t panic.
- Yell for help or blow the whistle.
- Use your pepper spray.
- Copy the license plate number of the motorcycle.
- Running to a crowded place.
- Go immediately to the nearest police station.
- If you are injured, go to the clinic to get appropriate treatment.
- Contact family or friends immediately
Overall, Malaysia is quite a safe country for you to travel to. However, the safety in some metropolitan areas such as Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru is not so good.
Law and order during the day are generally good, but in the evening and at night, you need to be extra careful. Like other developing countries, pickpockets are heard in Malaysia. You can easily spot beggars in crowded places. There are also some small gangsters on the streets in big cities.
All you need to do is to pay attention to criminals such as road bully and snatch thieves because they like to commit crimes in large urban areas. But rest assured, as long as you are putting on a decent attire with not too conspicuous ornament, and always remain cautious, you can still enjoy the days that you spent in Malaysia.