Malaysia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 414

COMMUNICATIONS
Malaysia's postal service is inexpensive
and generally reliable; postcards to
Europe and the US take ten to fourteen
days. Packages are expensive to send, with
surface/sea mail taking two months to
Europe, longer to the US.
By far the easiest and cheapest way to
call home is by using Skype ; most
internet cafés in Malaysia offer facilities
for this. Local SIM cards cost around
RM20; DiGi, Maxis and Celcom
networks offer the widest coverage
(Celcom is best for Borneo) and
inexpensive international calls. Telecom
Malaysia (TM) iTalk cards can be used to
make international calls on your mobile.
here are TM payphones in most towns
in Malaysia; they take coins or prepaid
TM cards which you can buy at
7-Elevens, post o ces and TM o ces.
To call abroad from Malaysia, dial

hours in Kuala Lumpur, Penang and in
run-down neighbourhoods in general.
Women travelling alone can expect a
certain amount of male attention,
particularly on the more conservative east
coast of Malaysia, so dressing modestly
and treating overly friendly strangers with
caution is a must.
he penalty for drug tra cking is death
- foreigners have been executed in the
past - and even carrying a small amount
on you will earn you a lengthy prison
sentence and a caning.

6

MEDICAL CARE AND EMERGENCIES
Levels of hygiene and medical care in
Malaysia's larger cities are higher than in
much of the rest of Southeast Asia; staff
almost everywhere speak good English
and use up-to-date techniques. here's
always a well-stocked pharmacy in main
towns. Oral contraceptives and condoms
are sold over the counter, but you won't
find tampons outside KL, so bring your
own. Opening hours are usually Monday
to Saturday 9.30am to 7pm; pharmacies
in shopping malls stay open later. Private
clinics are found even in the smallest
towns; a visit costs around RM30,
excluding medication. he emergency
department of each town's general
hospital will see foreigners for the token
fee of RM5, though costs rise rapidly if
continued treatment or overnight stays
are necessary.
Recommended vaccinations for
Malaysia include Hepatatis A, rabies,
tetanus and diphtheria; if you're planning
on spending time in the jungle in
Peninsular Malaysia's interior or in
Sarawak or Sabah, you will require
appropriate anti-malarial prophylactics.

00 + IDD country code + area code
minus first 0 + subscriber number.
Internet cafés are plentiful and most
hostels, hotels and guesthouses offer free
wi-fi; many offer internet access, too
- mostly for free.

T

CRIME AND SAFETY
he most common crimes are perpetrated
by pickpockets and snatch thieves on
motorbikes, who grab handbags. Watch
your bag in most cities, especially in KL,
as motorbike theft is a common
occurrence there. Theft from dormitories
by other tourists is also a relatively
common complaint. In the more
remote parts of Sarawak or Sabah there
is little crime.
If you do need to report a crime in
Malaysia, head for the nearest police
station , where there'll be someone who
speaks English - you'll need a copy of
the police report for insurance purposes.
Violent crime against tourists is rare but
muggings do occasionally happen after

INFORMATION AND MAPS
Tourism Malaysia ( W tourism.gov.my)
operates a tourist o ce in most major
towns, but it's not that useful for areas off
the beaten track. heir website, however,
is a good source of information. Locally
run visitor centres , found in most
major towns, are more geared up to
independent travellers' needs. You can

EMERGENCY NUMBERS
Fire Brigade T 994
Police/Ambulance T 999