It’s not just in your head - Malaysian women really do feel less safe at night
Within Asean, Malaysia ranked second lowest, just ahead of Myanmar, where only 41 per cent of respondents reported feeling safe.
SHAH ALAM – Few things feel as unsettling as walking alone after dark, when every shadow seems to move and every sound grows louder.
It’s a quiet reminder that safety means very different things to different people.
Malaysia has been ranked among the least safe countries in Southeast Asia for walking alone at night, but what stands out even more is the massive gap between how men and women perceive safety.
According to the Global Safety Report, 'A Safer World in Unsafe Times?' by Gallup, only 58 per cent of Malaysians said they feel safe walking alone at night, placing the country 100th out of 150 nations surveyed.
Within Asean, Malaysia ranked second lowest, just ahead of Myanmar, where only 41 per cent of respondents reported feeling safe.
However, the report revealed a more striking insight, Malaysia recorded the largest gender gap in the world in perceptions of safety after dark.
A total of 79 per cent of Malaysian men said they feel safe walking alone at night, compared to only 36 per cent of women, marking a 43-point gap.
This disparity surpasses that of New Zealand (35 points), Italy (32 points), and Australia (27–29 points), highlighting a deeper issue of gendered experiences in public safety.
While the study did not identify the exact causes behind this divide, the results mirror ongoing concerns raised by women’s advocacy groups about harassment, inadequate lighting and limited police presence in public areas at night.
Globally, Singapore emerged as the safest country to walk alone at night, with 98 per cent of respondents saying they feel secure doing so.
Vietnam ranked second in the Asean region (88 per cent), followed by Indonesia (83 per cent), Thailand (70 per cent) and the Philippines (64 per cent).
The Gallup survey was conducted across 144 countries and territories in 2024, involving nationally representative samples of 1,000 adults aged 15 and above through phone or face-to-face interviews.
While Malaysia’s position reflects a need for stronger safety measures and public confidence, the data also points to an opportunity for policymakers and local communities to address gender disparities and build safer, more inclusive cities, where everyone, regardless of gender, can walk without fear after dark.
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