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Security in KL



 
 
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  #21  
Old September 25th, 2004, 09:31 AM
Alfred Molon
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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
  #24  
Old September 25th, 2004, 10:24 AM
Elaine
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"Alfred Molon" wrote in message
...
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 ?

I had my card cloned whilst in Malaysia in April. I only used it 3 times -
at KLIA Duty Free, at the Royal Selangor factory shop and in a "big"
department store in Kota Kinabalu. I'm guessing it happened in the last
one, but can't be sure.

Take care.

Elaine


  #25  
Old September 25th, 2004, 10:24 AM
Elaine
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"Alfred Molon" wrote in message
...
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 ?

I had my card cloned whilst in Malaysia in April. I only used it 3 times -
at KLIA Duty Free, at the Royal Selangor factory shop and in a "big"
department store in Kota Kinabalu. I'm guessing it happened in the last
one, but can't be sure.

Take care.

Elaine


  #26  
Old September 25th, 2004, 11:56 AM
SemanKilat
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"Dave Baker" wrote in message
...
: On Fri, 24 Sep 2004 23:57:04 +0200, Alfred Molon
: wrote:
:
: All this makes me wonder if the security situation in KL has really
: deteriorated so much...?
:
: Presumably as you have a Malaysian wife you have been/lived her before so
you
: know the previous situation.
:
: I've also been here on & off (mostly on) since 1982, and I still feel safe
: doing my normal activities. I still get money from ATMs at night if
: necessary. I lock my doors when i drive, but I've always done that. I put
my
: wallet in my front pocket when I go to Petaling Street or similar places,
but
: that's about it.

Never done that before but thanks for the tip. Dopey moi.

:
: As someone else said - take the normal precautions & you'll be fine. I got
: robbed (pickpocketed) in Paris a couple of years back after only 3 hours
in
: the country! :-) I'm sure they can spot the tourists a mile away.
: I've never been robbed or even really had any problems in more than 17
years
: in Malaysia.
:
: Dave
:
: The email address used for sending these postings is not valid.
: All replies to the group please.


  #27  
Old September 25th, 2004, 11:56 AM
SemanKilat
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Dave Baker" wrote in message
...
: On Fri, 24 Sep 2004 23:57:04 +0200, Alfred Molon
: wrote:
:
: All this makes me wonder if the security situation in KL has really
: deteriorated so much...?
:
: Presumably as you have a Malaysian wife you have been/lived her before so
you
: know the previous situation.
:
: I've also been here on & off (mostly on) since 1982, and I still feel safe
: doing my normal activities. I still get money from ATMs at night if
: necessary. I lock my doors when i drive, but I've always done that. I put
my
: wallet in my front pocket when I go to Petaling Street or similar places,
but
: that's about it.

Never done that before but thanks for the tip. Dopey moi.

:
: As someone else said - take the normal precautions & you'll be fine. I got
: robbed (pickpocketed) in Paris a couple of years back after only 3 hours
in
: the country! :-) I'm sure they can spot the tourists a mile away.
: I've never been robbed or even really had any problems in more than 17
years
: in Malaysia.
:
: Dave
:
: The email address used for sending these postings is not valid.
: All replies to the group please.


  #30  
Old September 25th, 2004, 01:45 PM
Miguel Cruz
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Posts: n/a
Default

Alfred Molon wrote:
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 ?


Everyone (even the foreign press) claims it's doing well. Chinese people
tell me it's Indonesian illegal immigrants making all the trouble. I don't
really know what to believe on that score.

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 ?


Here I agree with her completely. I've had my card cloned twice already. I
pretty much don't use it in Malaysia anymore except at ultra-high-end
joints, or places where I get to swipe it myself. I'm about to start
insisting on taking a digital picture of any cashier I use my credit card
with.

Huh...? Is there a Wifi hotspot in that park ?


They're everywhere now. It's quite nice. For instance, there's one you can
reach sitting by the fountain behind KLCC. And I don't think there's
anywhere in the Bukit Bintang area that's not covered by at least one. For
some of them you need to buy a card (TMNet or Airzed) but the cards are
really cheap. Others are free, provided by Time Broadband for some reason.

The only nuisance at night, when you walk back from KLCC to Jalan Alor
used to be that male prostitute at the corner.


Still plenty of those. The good news is that they start to ignore you (or at
least me) after a while.

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 don't feel any less safe than I did years ago here.

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.


I agree.

Then again, I moved here from Washington DC, so my standards of "safe" were
possibly a little looser than some.

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




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