🇲🇾 Malaysia · Asia
Safety Malaysia
Globalement sur
Malaysia is a safe and easy country to travel, with good infrastructure. The main risks are petty urban crime (motorbike snatch theft, pickpockets), some scams and dengue. The far east of Sabah, near the Philippines, requires particular vigilance.
Specific risks
Theft & petty crime
3Vigilance conseillee
Scams
2Globalement sur
Natural disasters
2Globalement sur
Health risks
2Globalement sur
Political stability
2Globalement sur
Areas to avoid
- East coast of Sabah (Semporna, Sandakan, nearby islands): residual kidnapping risk, follow the alerts
- Certain neighbourhoods of KL at night (Chow Kit, the alleys around Bukit Bintang) for snatch thefts
- Zones frontalieres reculees du sud (frontiere thaïlandaise)
Emergency numbers
Police
999
Ambulance
999
Fire department
999
Health & precautions
Vaccinations
- None required
- Hepatitis A, typhoid and DTaP-polio boosters recommended
- Hepatitis B and rabies for long stays or Borneo
- Yellow fever if arriving from an at-risk area
Drinking water
Tap water is chlorinated but not recommended for direct drinking: drink bottled or filtered water.
Mosquitoes
Dengue present year-round, especially in cities and in the rainy season; residual malaria in the deep jungle of Borneo. Repellent and covering clothes advised.
General notes
Good private hospitals in KL, Penang and Kota Kinabalu. Travel insurance essential (evacuation possible from Borneo).
Women travelers
Overall safe for women traveling alone. Covering dress recommended in conservative areas and to enter the mosques (headscarf provided). Many forms of transport have women-only cars/lines.
LGBTQ+ travelers
Legally hostile: same-sex relations are illegal (colonial legacy + sharia in some states). No active crackdown on tourists, but discretion is essential, no public displays of affection.
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