Bomb blast in Bukit Bintang, KL, today

IMO it is not sensible to stay in the Bukit Bintang area of KL, due to the threat posed by organised gangs targeting foreigners for their passports - I have posted about this before. Chinatown is a much better bet.

Update, it wasn't a bomb, but 2 grenades. 1 person died and 12 were injured.

Bukit BIntang doesn't look that dangerous. Besides, usually when in KL I don't carry the passport with me when I'm out of the hotel.

Bukit BIntang doesn't look that dangerous
How does a place look dangerous?!!!

There are definitely lots of Chinese gangs operating in the area (the back streets and running the clubs etc) but that has nothing to do with tourism. Things that do affect tourists are the snatch thefts and pickpockets.

Things that do affect tourists are the snatch thefts and pickpockets.

How often do these things happen? Never happened to me in 15 years of travelling to Malaysia.

alfredm wrote:
"Bukit BIntang doesn't look that dangerous."
"Never happened to me in 15 years of travelling to Malaysia."

looks can be deceiving.
just because it hasn't happened to you doesn't mean the crime doesn't exist.

stupidtourist wrote:

just because it hasn't happened to you doesn't mean the crime doesn't exist.

And I never claimed that.

But writing "it is not sensible to stay in the Bukit Bintang area of KL" is nonsense.

Things that do affect tourists are the snatch thefts and pickpockets.
How often do these things happen?

Very very often. Crime is definitely on the increase. Although probably affects locals more than tourists , as the thieves tend to operate in the suburbs and housing areas. Snatch thefts are a huge problem (of bags and jewellery) and also snatches from cars when stopped at traffic lights, junctions. Many people don't bother to make a police report as it is a waste of time.

I've seen pickpockets operating on the free buses around Bukit Bintang, when people are pushing to get on the bus.