Safety in KL

[tonray]

I lived and worked in Malaysia for quite a spell before I came to Thailand.

 

KL specifically:

 

Outside of the tourist quarter the city is divided along ethnic lines.

 

The Malay Muslim neighborhoods (almost all centered around monorail stops and Mosques) are quite safe and there is really nothing much going on there after dark so no worries there...you may die of boredom however.

 

The Chinese dominated neighborhoods are controlled and policed informally by Chinese 'societies' (being polite here) and they really keep the peace unless you are a rival group or did not pay your monthly tribute. This area is centered on the Pudu neighborhood and is in my opinion the best place for a long term stayer.

 

The Indian neighborhoods are a different matter. The local Indian Malaysians are not the problem but rather the visitors from South Asia who are either there working as laborers  or visiting relatives and stay illegally afterwards. Mostly young and male, these guys are trouble especially at night. They will push and shove when getting on a train and have no manners whatsoever.

 

There is also a somewhat large South Asian (mostly Sri Lankan) Christian community near Bukit Bintang and they are really helpful and hospitable. After Sunday church services they have a food and drink setup which is a great way to meet and greet locals..but again this is outside a church...so maybe not for TV members...ha ha.

 

 

One of the cities on the list Klang....is definitely warranted to be on the list...a grimy little town south of KL, run by slippery Indian silk traders is to be avoided and I only ended up there when getting off at the wrong stop (was going to Port Klang..where I almost mistakenly ended up on a ferry to Indonesia without any docs....story for another day....555)

 

 

In general, KL is safe if you follow the guideline. A hotel in Pudu that is reasonable and very comfortable and close to walking distance from Bukit is Hotel Pudu Plaza is you need a decent place to stay in a safe Chinese neighborhood

 

 

 

 

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[oldcarguy]

1 hour ago, tonray said:

 

The Chinese dominated neighborhoods are controlled and policed informally by Chinese 'societies' (being polite here) and they really keep the peace unless you are a rival group or did not pay your monthly tribute. This area is centered on the Pudu neighborhood and is in my opinion the best place for a long term stayer.

is Chinatown in KL  full of old shops like BKK  Chinatown

[tonray]

5 minutes ago, oldcarguy said:

is Chinatown in KL  full of old shops like BKK  Chinatown

The area they call ChinaTown in KL is really a commercial area (small compared to BKK) that I think has lost a lot of its Chinese. Many of the vendors are aggressive Indians and Arabs hawking crap and grabbing you to come into their stalls.Still worth a few hours but if you want to see a real Chinese neighborhood, go to Pudu around the Plaza which is where real Chinese daily life occurs. 

[THAILIBAN]

On 9/16/2017 at 10:25 AM, oldcarguy said:

is Chinatown in KL  full of old shops like BKK  Chinatown

 

 

not really. I actually avoid KL Chinatown like the plague. BKK Chinatown is authentic (though due to the hordes of visiting Chinese mainlanders who don't have authentic Chinatowns any longer in the big cities of their home country, this is on the way to become a tourist trap too), KL Chinatown is not.

 

Chinatown KL is centered around the (in)famous Petaling street, which is a tourist trap and endless lines with scores of stalls selling fake shirts and watches (only in 2014 when I wanted to buy a fake ADIDAS shirt of my home country for the football WC, then suddenly none was available - adidas and competitors had sent a secret police force and all fake products vanished)