i travelled quite a lot as well.
and stayed in Japan for 6 years.

Malaysia is quite safe ok.
of coz cant compare to Japan.

one thing i wanna add to my previous comment though....
malaysia is safe, but not as safe as it was, lets say, 30,40 years ago.

I can only say that because im 40 plus now.

last time kids can go do a lot of things themselves. safe.
now pergi sekolah jalan kaki for 5 minutes pon worry kena kidnap.
naik basikal 5 minit to go anywhere pon dangerous because too many bikes/cars etc.

i guess a lot of things were safer to do many many years back.

and i guess those that say malaysia is not safe are also comparing malaysia to the olden days.

as much as i agree that kids nowadays are very sheltered, i do believe that it is also because nowadays it is not as safe as before.

im not saying 40 years ago no kidnapping.
i personally experience it myself.
from my school to the main road to take bus, i got followed by a chinese uncle on a bike. after i walk a few simpang, there he is again, just staring at me.
this was in primary school.
anyway, i sorok2 use other roads and made sure its not secluded and then made my way to the main road. (i agree our generation also more street smart)
one of my friends also kena kidnap with a lady in purdah (convenient way of disguising yourself).

but looking at the crime rate nowadays also we can see that it is not as safe as before.

higher population means more people.
more people also means more bad people, more crime as well.
hence not as safe.

last time i can go to tuition center nearby central market all the way from hulu kelang by public bus. and this was in primary school.
of coz we know not to lepak at secluded stairwas at Central market where people will call you and force u to give them money.
i also kept some money hidden in case i kena pau. (again, i agree we are more street smart, as we do live in the "street" )

nowadays if primary school children naik public bus thats full of low class foreign workers, then go to central market, confirm kena con, kena pau, kena cabul etc.

imagine seeing a 10 year old naik public bus to Kotaraya, chowkitt or Central market by himself.
not as many as it used to be i can tell you.