Security in KL

Hi Alfred,

DO have a pleasant stay when you are here.


"Alfred Molon" wrote in message
...
Hi,

we are flying to KL in December. My Malaysian wife who routinely reads
the news in chinapress.com.my keeps telling me that the security
situation in KL has worsened substantially over the last few years.

Please have my 2cents worth, Chinese newspapers (particularly China Press)
usually put crime stories prominently on its frontpage to attract readers.
This can give a very inaccurate representation about the security situation
in the country. But do not panic for now.

Snatch thefs had been around for decades, my wife was a victim to these
snatch thieves a decade ago. However, I would say that one has to have
security-consciousness wherever you are (regardless of whether you are in
Malaysia, US, or anywhere in the world).


When I'm in KL I'm used to go to the Citibank branch in Jalan Ampang
even late at night and get larger amounts of cash from the ATM. Now my
wife insists that I stop doing that, because she read stories that
people will wait near the ATM, then follow people who took larger
amounts of cash to steal it from them. She also told me that if you stop
with your car at the red traffic light, it can happen that somebody will
open the car door, threaten you with a knife and steal your money. And
so on.

This has also been around for decades. This is not new.

-Alex

Nice to hear that Waseem,

Your suggestion to have his wife consult her 'relatives' back home may
backfire though, as these 'relatives' may also be reading China Press and
any other papers that choose to 'sensationalize' criminal issues on their
frontpages, and subsequently give distorted advice/feedback.

-Alex

"Waseem S." wrote in message
...
Visited Malaysia in July this year and spent about 5 days in KL. Never
felt in danger.
I too read those reports before I left and was wondering myself. You
just need to use
basic common sense when in any big city. Since your wife is Malaysian,
she should
talk to her relatives in KL so she can get some feedback.

regards
waseem

Nice to hear that Waseem,

Your suggestion to have his wife consult her 'relatives' back home may
backfire though, as these 'relatives' may also be reading China Press and
any other papers that choose to 'sensationalize' criminal issues on their
frontpages, and subsequently give distorted advice/feedback.

-Alex

"Waseem S." wrote in message
...
Visited Malaysia in July this year and spent about 5 days in KL. Never
felt in danger.
I too read those reports before I left and was wondering myself. You
just need to use
basic common sense when in any big city. Since your wife is Malaysian,
she should
talk to her relatives in KL so she can get some feedback.

regards
waseem

LOL @ Focus!

Come on... you are making him even scarier! g

-Alex

"Focus" wrote in message ...
Play it safe or else get a bodyguard!
Withdraw money in broad daylight and when there are plenty of people
around
and make sure no one is following you.
If you get accosted, just give your money away. Which ATM are you going to
:-))

LOL @ Focus!

Come on... you are making him even scarier! g

-Alex

"Focus" wrote in message ...
Play it safe or else get a bodyguard!
Withdraw money in broad daylight and when there are plenty of people
around
and make sure no one is following you.
If you get accosted, just give your money away. Which ATM are you going to
:-))

Alfred Molon wrote:
we are flying to KL in December. My Malaysian wife who routinely reads
the news in chinapress.com.my keeps telling me that the security
situation in KL has worsened substantially over the last few years.

Far as I can tell, the only significant increase has heen in snatch thefts
perpetrated by guys on mopeds who grab purses from women walking along the
road. Recently one or two victims were dragged along and badly injured or
killed, and it's gotten a lot of press. The only reason I think this is
actually increased rather than just getting a lot of press is that the
police seem to be responding to it a lot.

The good news is that it's very easy to avoid. These guys ride around
looking for loose bags being carried on the street side.

When I'm in KL I'm used to go to the Citibank branch in Jalan Ampang
even late at night and get larger amounts of cash from the ATM. Now my
wife insists that I stop doing that, because she read stories that
people will wait near the ATM, then follow people who took larger
amounts of cash to steal it from them.

Recently I posted a story (maybe in rec.travel.air) about how I withdrew
about a thousand dollars (RM4000) from an ATM and then managed to spray it
all over the floor, and people helped me pick it up. This happened at the
Jalan Ampang Citibank, after dark. I was worried that some of it would go
under the machines where it would be hard to retrieve, but I never for a
moment worried about crime (other than perhaps a surreptitious pocketing of
a note or two, which didn't happen).

Also there are multiple security guards in there all the time.

She also told me that if you stop with your car at the red traffic light,
it can happen that somebody will open the car door, threaten you with a
knife and steal your money. And so on.

This not worth worrying about. This sort of famous crime happens maybe one
time in every city and then people who are preoccupied with crime become
convinced it happens at every red light. Though I haven't even heard of it
happening here at all.

All this makes me wonder if the security situation in KL has really
deteriorated so much...?

No, but the newspaper sensationalism situation has.

Look, I wander around KL at all hours of the day and night. I always cut
through alleys when it's the shortest way, even if it's 3 in the morning and
there's no light. I sit out on a park bench on Jalan Sultan Ismail after
midnight and access the internet with my laptop. And I am very obviously a
foreigner. I sit in the same place around the same time with decent
regularity, completely absorbed in what I'm doing, and anyone who was
planning something has had ample opportunity.

I have not seen or heard anything which has given me any reason to believe
any of this is a bad idea - nothing that's happened to me, or to anyone I
know or have read about.

The one crime to be worried about in KL was, and continues to be, the
outrageously idiotic behavior of the city's psycho drivers.

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos from 31 countries on 5 continents: http://travel.u.nu

Alfred Molon wrote:
we are flying to KL in December. My Malaysian wife who routinely reads
the news in chinapress.com.my keeps telling me that the security
situation in KL has worsened substantially over the last few years.

Far as I can tell, the only significant increase has heen in snatch thefts
perpetrated by guys on mopeds who grab purses from women walking along the
road. Recently one or two victims were dragged along and badly injured or
killed, and it's gotten a lot of press. The only reason I think this is
actually increased rather than just getting a lot of press is that the
police seem to be responding to it a lot.

The good news is that it's very easy to avoid. These guys ride around
looking for loose bags being carried on the street side.

When I'm in KL I'm used to go to the Citibank branch in Jalan Ampang
even late at night and get larger amounts of cash from the ATM. Now my
wife insists that I stop doing that, because she read stories that
people will wait near the ATM, then follow people who took larger
amounts of cash to steal it from them.

Recently I posted a story (maybe in rec.travel.air) about how I withdrew
about a thousand dollars (RM4000) from an ATM and then managed to spray it
all over the floor, and people helped me pick it up. This happened at the
Jalan Ampang Citibank, after dark. I was worried that some of it would go
under the machines where it would be hard to retrieve, but I never for a
moment worried about crime (other than perhaps a surreptitious pocketing of
a note or two, which didn't happen).

Also there are multiple security guards in there all the time.

She also told me that if you stop with your car at the red traffic light,
it can happen that somebody will open the car door, threaten you with a
knife and steal your money. And so on.

This not worth worrying about. This sort of famous crime happens maybe one
time in every city and then people who are preoccupied with crime become
convinced it happens at every red light. Though I haven't even heard of it
happening here at all.

All this makes me wonder if the security situation in KL has really
deteriorated so much...?

No, but the newspaper sensationalism situation has.

Look, I wander around KL at all hours of the day and night. I always cut
through alleys when it's the shortest way, even if it's 3 in the morning and
there's no light. I sit out on a park bench on Jalan Sultan Ismail after
midnight and access the internet with my laptop. And I am very obviously a
foreigner. I sit in the same place around the same time with decent
regularity, completely absorbed in what I'm doing, and anyone who was
planning something has had ample opportunity.

I have not seen or heard anything which has given me any reason to believe
any of this is a bad idea - nothing that's happened to me, or to anyone I
know or have read about.

The one crime to be worried about in KL was, and continues to be, the
outrageously idiotic behavior of the city's psycho drivers.

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos from 31 countries on 5 continents: http://travel.u.nu

Alex wrote:

Please have my 2cents worth, Chinese newspapers (particularly China Press)
usually put crime stories prominently on its frontpage to attract readers.
This can give a very inaccurate representation about the security situation
in the country. But do not panic for now.

Thanks, that helps.
--

Alfred Molon

http://www.molon.de/Galleries.htm - Photos from Myanmar, Brunei,
Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Nepal, Egypt, Austria, Prague,
Budapest and Portugal

Alex wrote:

Please have my 2cents worth, Chinese newspapers (particularly China Press)
usually put crime stories prominently on its frontpage to attract readers.
This can give a very inaccurate representation about the security situation
in the country. But do not panic for now.

Thanks, that helps.
--

Alfred Molon

http://www.molon.de/Galleries.htm - Photos from Myanmar, Brunei,
Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Nepal, Egypt, Austria, Prague,
Budapest and Portugal

Miguel Cruz wrote:
Far as I can tell, the only significant increase has heen in snatch thefts
perpetrated by guys on mopeds who grab purses from women walking along the
road. Recently one or two victims were dragged along and badly injured or
killed, and it's gotten a lot of press. The only reason I think this is
actually increased rather than just getting a lot of press is that the
police seem to be responding to it a lot.

Is this a consequence of a deteriorating economy ? How is the situation
of the economy right now ?


Recently I posted a story (maybe in rec.travel.air) about how I withdrew
about a thousand dollars (RM4000) from an ATM and then managed to spray it
all over the floor, and people helped me pick it up. This happened at the
Jalan Ampang Citibank, after dark. I was worried that some of it would go
under the machines where it would be hard to retrieve, but I never for a
moment worried about crime (other than perhaps a surreptitious pocketing of
a note or two, which didn't happen).

That's exactly the branch where I usually go, because with a Citibank
card I can withdraw money with no banking fees. Withdrawing money and
paying cash gives me a better rate than if I payed with the credit card
I have (it's registered in Germany).

By the way, my wife also told me that I shouldn't use the credit card,
even in Sungei Wang or BB Plaza because people might copy the data on it
and create a copy. I've never had a fraud case in these past 15 years,
but should I perhaps be careful and only use the credit card in big and
"established" places ?

Look, I wander around KL at all hours of the day and night. I always cut
through alleys when it's the shortest way, even if it's 3 in the morning and
there's no light. I sit out on a park bench on Jalan Sultan Ismail after
midnight and access the internet with my laptop. And I am very obviously a
foreigner. I sit in the same place around the same time with decent
regularity, completely absorbed in what I'm doing, and anyone who was
planning something has had ample opportunity.

Huh...? Is there a Wifi hotspot in that park ? The only nuisance at
night, when you walk back from KLCC to Jalan Alor used to be that male
prostitute at the corner.

BTW, I'm also used to walking around even at night in KL with expensive
computer and photographic equipment and larger amounts of cash. I never
felt unsafe

I have not seen or heard anything which has given me any reason to believe
any of this is a bad idea - nothing that's happened to me, or to anyone I
know or have read about.

I haven't been in KL since last December, but would have classified KL
as relatively safe. Maybe not as safe as Munich (Germany), where there
are no bad neighbourhoods, but probably safer than places like Rome or
Paris.

--

Alfred Molon

http://www.molon.de/Galleries.htm - Photos from Myanmar, Brunei,
Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Nepal, Egypt, Austria, Prague,
Budapest and Portugal