A lot of the people using Roomz.asia platforms as tenants are young families, expatriates, or locals coming from around the world and Malaysia looking for a longer term accomodation. For those who are unfamiliar with the Kuala Lumpur area and lifestyle, with a little help from Trip Advisor, we decided to compile the most common forms of crime that can happen here. Now don’t you worry, we write this not to intimidate you but to make sure you are aware of the potential situations which would make you more careful and less prone to making mistakes that could cost you your belongings or losing your money. It is better to be safe than sorry.
- Snatch-Thieves
This would probably be the most common form of crime in Malaysia. Two guys on a bike snatching personal belongings from pedestrians make most of the locals tremble in fear whenever they hear an approaching sound of a bike from the distance. Every Malaysian knows someone who had some kind of negative experience with the snatch-thieves. They do not choose time nor place to operate, which means the snatching can happen anytime and anywhere in public spaces, even those more ‘fancy’ neighbourhoods. The best solution for this kind of crime is to stay alert, carry your bags on the front part of your body, avoid dark and dodgy areas and make sure your jewellery is not visible to the public, better yet, do not even wear any. In the video below you can see how experienced snatchers grab a neckless from a person in the middle of the day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dXcTKde-CU
I personally experienced a situation where I was approached by a snatch-thief who was trying to sell me a ‘freshly’ stolen phone from a lady. If similar situation happens to you, just politely refuse and make sure you remember the licence plates of the bike he uses in order to make a report for the police.
- Pick Pockets
Public Transportation in Asian countries can very often be quite intense and Malaysia is not an exception. Many people tightly squeezing next to each other like a bunch of anchovies in a can make a perfect opportunity for pickpocketers to do the thing they are best at. When it comes to this form of crime, make sure you have all of your belongings in one place and within your eyesight. Try not to keep your wallets and phones in your back pockets, especially in crowded areas. In the following video is not from Malaysia but it helps you to see how jams can be very convenient for skilled pickpocketers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PVbpQfZxrU
As someone who has watched lots of crime movies and documentaries about deception I have observed how pickpocketers really work and I realized it is all about the distraction. First they create a certain kind of commotion that involves you directly or indirectly (either ‘accidentaly’ give you a tug, make something fall on the floor in front of you or do something unusual). Pickpocketers are experts in grabbing your attention and redirecting it from your personal belongings to something else, so while you are focused on whatever the commotion is about, they use the opportunity to delicately steal whatever you offer them by not taking care of your belongings. So if you’re reading this blog somewhere in the train from your phone, make sure to put the wallet from your pocket in a safer place.
- Car Thieves
Fortunately for all the tenants looking for a room to rent using Roomz.asia platform, a lot of condominium areas with rooms to rent have a 24-hour security system with a parking lot under protection so you are pretty much safe. But for those who are moving in the areas that do not have such service, make sure you park your cars in the visible and lighted areas, preferably near your house with a proper view to your car from your house or apartment. Also you need to make sure you don’t leave any valuable possessions inside the car. You do not want to make car thieves tempted to break in and grab for whatever you left in and maybe take the whole car away with them. While driving, keep the doors locked and do not leave the keys in the ignition if you’re fueling up or going for a quick jump to the store nearby, otherwise someone might as well quicky jump in your car and glamorously drive off.
- Card tricks and Frauds
No, we’re not talking about a magican making card tricks to entertain you. This involves credit cards, ATM cards and such, which is a very common problem wherever you go in the world. This one is quite straightforward: Make your PIN codes hidden every time you withdraw money from the ATM machines and make sure you check where you swipe or insert your cards. Even when you think there is nobody around who can see what you are doing with your card, turn around check the environment once again just in case. We are sure your neck will not cause you any pain if you do it twice.
- Suspicious People
So let’s say you just left your room in Subang Jaya area and are walking down the road peacefully and then all of a sudden you are jumped by a random beggar asking you for some money. Would you stop and give him some money or would you just keep on going by ignoring or rejecting him politely. There is actually no wrong answer here, just make sure that whatever you do, you do it quickly. Drug Addicts, beggars, and donation seekers are a regular sight around KL city centre and wider area. Generally they do not pose any threats but it is still advisable to keep your distance and politely walk away if you get any questions directed to you. Some people might tell you to watch out for gangs and gangsters and that is true but if you mind your business and avoid dodgy areas and neighbourhoods, you should be safe.
In comparison with the more technical issues you might have regarding room rental, the crimes mentioned above are ‘slightly’ more dangerous and are the most common types of crimes that happen in Malaysia but if you look at it from a bigger picture, you can see that other than snatch-thieves most of the crimes happening in Malaysia are the crimes that you can find pretty much anywhere in the world. Wherever you go, you will never really be 100% safe. Having that in mind, instead of stressing out about potential dangerous situations we would suggest you to just be slightly more careful and enjoy your time wherever you are in Malaysia.
