Tourist from China says KL felt unsafe due to narrow pavements & leering men
A tourist from China has sparked discussion online after describing her recent trip to Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur as her “worst travel experience”.
In an 8 June video on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, she criticised KL for its poor urban planning, leading to her and her friend feeling unsafe in the city.
The clip has since made its way onto TikTok, where it received a mixed response.
@lunachloe0573 Is KL really that bad? 😳
Tourist from China says parts of KL looked ‘rundown’
The woman first noted that despite a few shiny, bustling skyscrapers like the Petronas Twin Towers, there were parts of the city that looked rundown.
The skyscrapers were placed amid the “shabby” buildings, leading to a sense of “disconnection”.
Source: @lunachloe0573 on TikTok
“It feels like a relatively backwards place where a few skyscrapers were suddenly forced up,” she said, adding that the urban planning was a mess and had no sense of beauty.
Source: @lunachloe0573 on TikTok
She also complained about the noise, especially from the motorcycles and cars.
KL pavements are very narrow, tourist from China says
The woman went to specifically criticise the city’s pavements as “very narrow”, making it very difficult for two people to walk side by side.
That’s why she and her friend had no choice but to walk in single file, she said.
Source: @lunachloe0573 on TikTok
Worse still, as they walked, the pavement would just disappear, forcing them to find a way to proceed with motorcycles whizzing by.
This caused them to feel very unsafe, she added.
She was scared by leering men
Furthermore, she claimed that she and her friend were harassed by men.
The moment they stepped outside, a group of men stared at them, making them feel like they were in India, she said.
Even when they were at KLCC, men whistled at them and even pushed their friends towards them, she added.
In one instance, she claimed that a homeless man shouted at her and her friend and reached out to them as they walked past, as if attempting to make physical contact.
The woman also griped about a private-hire driver who took them to a night market that was closed without giving them any prior warning, resulting in them having to take the same ride back.
She also said that the driver claimed he could speak Chinese but continued speaking English to them.
The only positive thing she had to say about KL was her hotel, which had an infinity pool with a view of the twin towers for just over 300 yuan (S$53) a night.
Source: @lunachloe0573 on TikTok
Complaints became hot topic of online discussion
The woman’s complaints ended up being a hot topic of discussion online, with her clip posted to the r/Malaysia subreddit on Wednesday (11 June).
It has since drawn more than 400 comments, with plenty of them echoing her sentiments.
Many agreed that KL had “embarrassing” infrastructure and is not pedestrian-friendly.
Source: Reddit
“Our cities, beyond the old town area, are simply not walkable. They’re built for cars,” one user wrote. Other netizens expressed a desire for Malaysia to move towards more pedestrian-friendly cities.
Some observers, however, pointed out that the clips suggested that the woman had stayed in a rather seedy area of town, which contributed to her negative experience.
Woman says clips was meant for Chinese university students
Speaking to Malaysia’s SAYS news portal, the woman said that her clip was meant to be viewed by a domestic Chinese audience, specifically university students.
She aimed to address the inflated depiction of KL on Chinese social media, she explained, adding:
There have been many misinterpretations, including assumptions that I was criticising all Malaysians, which I never intended.
Unfortunately, since her clip went viral, she had to turn off her comments to prevent online harassment.
She plans to release a follow-up video to clear any misunderstandings, stating that she does not want to cause a conflict between Chinese and Malaysian citizens.
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Featured image adapted from @lunachloe0573 on TikTok.
