Best Place to Retire??

[x9200]

To know the truth you have to live in Malaysia and a Western country both for longer periods of time. Also you probably have to factor in an Angmoh factor - stereotypes of rich whites must be present making them potentially a more likely target.

[the lynx]

On the other hand every day there are thousands of Singaporeans who throw caution to the wind and head across the water. I suspect their biggest threat comes from themselves and other Singaporean drivers.

I will still head to KL and JB - confidently. I have enough common sense to stay alive, and sane. The problem is that usually the 'blur' victims (most of them) often make themselves easy preys to pickpockets, snatch thieves on wheelies, slash-and-run drug addicts, and sexually-deprived illegal immigrants.

[bgd]

And experiences differ.

I’ve had family live in KL, they really enjoyed it and would move back if the opportunity arose. I met an Australian couple based in Ipoh who needed protection because of death threats. They weren’t so enamoured with the place.

[zzm9980]

zzm, I have nothing further to add to what you say because I essentially agree to it just that you're downplaying crime rates in Malaysia a little.

Well, if it sounds like I'm downplaying it that's probably because I'm from the US where crime rates are rather high. I grew up in Chicago, where the average number of murders by handguns often exceeds 700 per year. That's almost two murders by gun per DAY in the city. Yet, no one I know, friend, relative, friend of friend's uncle's neighor, etc, has ever died by a gun. The only people I know who've been shot at are police officers (friend's parents).

Now of course I hang in different social circles than most criminal gang bangers, but still it's easy for someone with a little common sense to stay relatively safe and secure even in a dangerous (by the numbers) city like Chicago. So I apologize if my skepticism on Malaysian crime sounds condescending, I don't intend it to be.

[zzm9980]

Malaysia is kind of unique situation. Unlike Indonesia for example. Its easy to classify Indonesia, India etc at 3rd world because there is crime, corruption and not good infrastructure and lots of poverty.

Malaysia has good infrastructure and not too many poor people and it import foreigners workers from poor countries like Indonesia. So all that sound like a developed country. But then there is crime rate, which is similar to other developed countries. But the biggest difference is corruption. You just have to cross the causeway to find traffic police there happily ready to take bribes. You wouldn't trust the police in Malaysia as much as Australia for example. So the corruption coupled with the crime rate makes it more dangerous than developed countries. Add to that racism and I guess thats what makes it a bad place.

Actually, you just almost perfectly described Italy. Shocking, eh?

[x9200]

But the biggest difference is corruption. You just have to cross the causeway to find traffic police there happily ready to take bribes. You wouldn't trust the police in Malaysia as much as Australia for example. So the corruption coupled with the crime rate makes it more dangerous than developed countries. Add to that racism and I guess thats what makes it a bad place.

Actually, you just almost perfectly described Italy. Shocking, eh?

Probably with the exception of the racism.

I would say Malaysia fits pretty well some better developed post-communistic countries with the exception that in Malaysia you can still see (I believe) really poor people in more rural areas, ox carts and such.

[zzm9980]

But the biggest difference is corruption. You just have to cross the causeway to find traffic police there happily ready to take bribes. You wouldn't trust the police in Malaysia as much as Australia for example. So the corruption coupled with the crime rate makes it more dangerous than developed countries. Add to that racism and I guess thats what makes it a bad place.

Actually, you just almost perfectly described Italy. Shocking, eh?

Probably with the exception of the racism.

I would say Malaysia fits pretty well some better developed post-communistic countries with the exception that in Malaysia you can still see (I believe) really poor people in more rural areas, ox carts and such.

Really?
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/12/sport ... -football/

Italian soccer match stopped due to racist abuse of Milan's Balotelli

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism_in_Italy

In 2013 after the nomination of Cécile Kyenge, an African Italian woman, as Minister of Integration in the government of Enrico Letta, she was the subject of several racial slurs by local and national politicians.[37][38] One was by Roberto Calderoli, a prominent figure of the anti-immigration and populist party Lega Nord, who said that whenever he saw Minister Kyenge, who is an African Italian, an orangutan came to his mind.[39] After a few days, during a speech by Cècile Kyenge at a meeting of the Democratic Party, some members of the far-right and neo-fascist New Force threw a clump of bananas at the minister.[40][41]

A World Values Survey based on data from 2005 - 2007 found Italy to be among the least racially tolerant countries in Western Europe (though still one of the more tolerant countries globally), with 11.1% of respondents saying they would not like to live next to someone of a different race.[1][2]

Not the same as Malaysia's, but it's definitely there in the culture.

[x9200]

Yeah, really. Football spectators are a special category in most of EU countries I believe. In Malaysia racism is on the state not the stadium level.

[x9200]

You edited your post... It's probably in every culture. It is the matter how openly it is expressed and what is the level of acceptance of the elites to such behavior. Be an Indian/African/Chinese and go to any rural or rougher city areas in (I dare to say) any country in Europe and you will see.
Another example, is there any EU country free from neo-nazi organizations?

[Wd40]

Yeah, by racism, even I meant state level racism and not racial tolerance. The bumiputra stuff, is absolutely ridiculous. Its along the same lines as apartheid was in South Africa.

[Vaucluse]

Its along the same lines as apartheid was in South Africa.

That's a rather cute comparison.

Dim-witted but cute.

[Strong Eagle]

Yeah, by racism, even I meant state level racism and not racial tolerance. The bumiputra stuff, is absolutely ridiculous. Its along the same lines as apartheid was in South Africa.

It's really not along the same lines at all. Apartheid was about a white minority denying basic human rights to a black majority, with such indelicacies as forcing blacks to live in their own townships.

The "bumi stuff" is about a Malay majority granting itself privileges in schooling, housing, and jobs because of the so called perceived advantage the minority Chinese and Indians allegedly have.

[earthfriendly]

So how safe is KL for a person with average street smartness? I have read about robberies resulting in injuries (parking lot) in prestigious mall in KL and the security there had to take counter measures.

Right now, I do not need to look over my shoulders or pay extra attention while frequenting the malls' parking lot, where I live, and wonder how safe is KL compared to my current situation.

My sister works in JB and a few of her local coworkers had been victims of crime, and some has been repeatedly victimized. It is a small office she works in. I understand JB is a town on the border and quite different from KL.

[earthfriendly]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0964586/

I saw this movie about a girl caught between two worlds, the Black and the White. It takes place in South Africa and based on a true story. Heartbreaking, to say the least.

[BoroBoy]

I love Malaysia but dont understand why Thailand isnt ahead of it! Great food, liberal society, cheap beer, cheap housing, beautiful beaches and a Retiree visa!

But anyone who thinks Malaysia's crime rate is too high has lived in Singapore for far to long and are probably stuck there for life as they will be petrified to live anywhere else in the world!