Driving in Malaysia

[quidsin]

Hi

We are thinking of taking a holiday to Malaysia but driving around to various spots in our Singapore registered car.

Is it safe to do so? we have three young children so want to make sue it's safe.

Would be grateful to hear from People who have already done this or have opinions on expats driving around Malaysia.

Thank You!

[durain]

it is OK. just be extra careful and lock your car at all times. another thing. dont load or unload stuff from the boot if parked, and dont leave anything inside the car. clear the glove box and leave it open when parked.

[osej]

In my opinion the troubles of driving in Malaysia are greatly exagurated. The Malaysians are generally good drivers who stay to the left on motorway and give way to faster moving traffic (if you catch up a car hogging the right lane you can bet it's got a Singaporean plate).
Sure in rush hour KL there will be tight but not much worse then in Singapore.
I would recommend to get a GPS as signs arn't always great.
It would also be handy to have a loose RM 50 available to pay the "fine" on the spot in the occasional speed traps (doesn't really matter how fast you were driving or even if you were speeding or not).
As previous poster said, never leave any valuables in the car. Then again that goes regardless of where in the world you are...
And always use the Second Link. The Causeway is always slower due to traffic even if you are going to JB.

[ScoobyDoes]

I do the drive regularly up to KL and to Tanjung Puteri Golf Club in JB on some weekends. I used to live in KL, for 5-yrs, and still have a business there.

You can check the Causeway and 2nd Link conditions online at OneMotoring via webcam or via phone. It's surprising sometimes to see the 2nd Link with much worse traffic than the Causeway. If you run Vista on your PC you can even install a widget of the SG webcams including the border ones.

You'll need a few RM50 on the highways, just in case. Only ever keep two in your wallet at one time, the rest in your bag or glove box...... not good to show the cop how much you might have.

There's not been a difference for me driving either a KL registered car or a SG registered one...... just keep your wits about you and take all necessary precautions you should anywhere else.

[kimtaymour]

Safe I don't think so at all.. from the drvieing wsie malaysian driving skills are good not too bad but theft-wise that is somwthing extraordianry to them... during my stay ther many case happen my friend's girlfriend car got stoeln, MY OWN Girlfriend car got stoel nin a matter of 1 hour or less... the car was parked went to a mamak store (populat restaurants) had somthing light and came bad.. BINGO the car was gone it just disapeared.can't tell you how we both we felt somemore it was day-light... Made report to police and all that butno use at all.. the car was a Kencil (the brand) somemore no value at all.. may the thief wanted a quick cash..

One day went to Nando's to eat with my girlfriend's mom and sister the var was packed with stuff as we came bag one bag was gone.. very weird because they only took that bag though ther wer lots of bags filled up with groceries and shopping stuff.. Car locked + alarm

And most receently my house owner(when i lived there) he got a new toyota camry 2008 model 2 weeks old only his wife stoped the car went down to open the electronic gate as she turns back the new car wa gone and her 5 and 6 years old kids (boy and girl) inside asleep.. luckily the thief let them go down like 1 Km away and drove the car also day-light

My advice forget about drving you may come back with alon to singapore without car and without the goodies...

Myself am going there next month i though of renting a car or even using my fieneds or ex-girlfriend car but looking and remember at the situation that I could face.. I am like forget it use taxi or let your friend picks you up.. cannot feel in peace if you driving a car in malaysia anyways am goign to bether for 5 days only and then back to Singapore ^_^

[ScoobyDoes]

the car was a Kencil (the brand) somemore no value at all.. may the thief wanted a quick cash..

Locally made cars like that have the highest theft rates.....broken down for cheap spares. Locally made cars need a lot of spares.

One day went to Nando's to eat with my girlfriend's mom and sister the var was packed with stuff as we came bag one bag was gone.. very weird because they only took that bag though ther wer lots of bags filled up with groceries and shopping stuff.. Car locked + alarm

But out of sight or not?

And most receently my house owner(when i lived there) he got a new toyota camry 2008 model 2 weeks old only his wife stoped the car went down to open the electronic gate as she turns back the new car wa gone and her 5 and 6 years old kids (boy and girl) inside asleep.. luckily the thief let them go down like 1 Km away and drove the car also day-light

It's unusual and unfortunate but can happen, and in many western countries these days too. Friend of mine had his Mercedes taken from him at knife point....... but, well, if you try to flaunt your wealth and not fly under the radar you're just asking for trouble if you ask me.

It's all about trying not to stand out, taking the necessary precautions. The odds are still stacked in our favour but that's all they are, odds.

It's been 6-yrs for me and 12-yrs for my colleague and whilst we have a story or two nothing has happened to either of us in all that time. Last time something happened to me was getting the stereo stollen out of my car..... during a typhoon T8 in Hong Kong! Before that, the stereo from my car in the UK, nearly 20-yrs ago.

[kimtaymour]

Out of sight of course we were eating in the resaurant and the car parked... Well yes you a re lucky and i hope you be for long... .. jsut be extra cautious when you drive in malaysia even GPS to trrack it down is no use.... car can be stolen in front of the security adn he guard won't say a word.. trust me..

[chitlins]

Re: "But out of sight or not?"



"It's unusual and unfortunate but can happen, and in many western countries these days too. Friend of mine had his Mercedes taken from him at knife point....... but, well, if you try to flaunt your wealth and not fly under the radar you're just asking for trouble if you ask me.

It's all about trying not to stand out, taking the necessary precautions. The odds are still stacked in our favour but that's all they are, odds."

"It's been 6-yrs for me and 12-yrs for my colleague and whilst we have a story or two nothing has happened to either of us in all that time. Last time something happened to me was getting the stereo stollen out of my car..... during a typhoon T8 in Hong Kong! Before that, the stereo from my car in the UK, nearly 20-yrs ago...."


Out of sight or not. Ah, that is the operative sentence, the key sentence. Having lived and worked in New York for most of my life, I can tell you that in a "marginal" neighbourhood, one never parks his/her vehicle out of direct "line of sight" while one shops/eats. And some neighbourhoods are so tough, drivers are advised not to challenge the car thief as he attempts to hot-wire the soon-to-be-stolen car. In these exceptionally tough neighbourhoods, the owner watches the act of stealing for the sole purpose of providing a description of the thief to the police.

In New York, people take the stereo or radio with them when they leave the car. If these "detachable" sound systems are not prevalent in your neighbourhood, it is not a "tough" neighbourhood.

Leaving a quarter(25-cents) on the dashboard is enough to get you a broken windscreen. A stereo/radio in the car could get you a detached/dismantled car door.

I am bracing myself now for vigorous attacks on my character from people who protest that they have never had a crime happen within 100 miles of them in a lifetime in N.Y. city. The same type of people that claim London to be a crime-free, gentle, cultured city after maybe 1/10th of the young people there have been stabbed to death!!!!! Newspapers: London: Stab City!!!!!!

anyway: in J.B.-- stop the car and observe the place for a few minutes before you get out to shop/dine. If it looks/feels funny, drive off and try someplace else. This way, you may just manage to stay alive.

[chitlins]

Out of sight of course we were eating in the resaurant and the car parked... Well yes you a re lucky and i hope you be for long... .. jsut be extra cautious when you drive in malaysia even GPS to trrack it down is no use.... car can be stolen in front of the security adn he guard won't say a word.. trust me..

Kim, there is a special device that was sold in the U.S. in the late 1990's, don't know if the Company is still in business now. When your car is stolen, it allows the thief to travel 1 or 2 blocks before it makes the car "break down." He will not be able to start it again.

There is also a tracking device called "Lo-Jack" that sends out a radio signal to enable your car to be tracked.

[ScoobyDoes]

Kim, there is a special device that was sold in the U.S. in the late 1990's, don't know if the Company is still in business now. When your car is stolen, it allows the thief to travel 1 or 2 blocks before it makes the car "break down." He will not be able to start it again.

Actually a lot of car alarms have an anti-hyjack system.

I had one in my Malaysian car. You have a hidden button that you need to press when you turn the ignition, or within 5-seconds, to bypass the feature otherwise the car will go a couple hundred yards and stop with lights and horn going etc.

You need to press it also everytime a door is opened.

It takes a little getting used to and i had the car "go-off" on me a few times till i did but in the end i disabled it, just using as a basic alarm.