selling well.

A recent interview with a Finnish newspaper

 

Somewhere in Bali

Why and when did you leave Bali?

I left Bali three years ago, my reasoning was pretty simple. I had spent eight or so years living on the island and I found myself becoming increasingly annoyed by the small stuff, the traffic, the rip offs etc. No matter how beautiful the place, when that starts to happen, it’s probably time to move on.

What did you do for living in Bali?

While I lived in Bali I was involved with a development company. Most of my work was done within the marketing side of the business.

How long did you live there?

Eight or so years, but I travelled back and forth regularly before that.

Are your brothers still living there? How many of them?

My brothers no longer conduct business in Bali; my family visits the island occasionally for holidays.

Where are you living now?

I now live in Thailand, there is a similarity that I’m used to, and I could not give up on South East Asia altogether.

Would you consider Kuta area as a dangerous place to visit?

Like most places in the world Kuta is as dangerous as you want to make it. I would advise any person that is thinking of traveling to a foreign country to keep their wits about them and to understand the environment they are entering into.

Indonesia is a very large country and there are people that travel to Bali seeking vulnerable tourists. That said most high profile tourist destinations seem to attract a criminal element.

How does the criminality in Kuta show on everyday life of an average tourist?

Most of the criminality against tourists is generally small scale, rip offs, over charging, pick pocketing, villa break-ins, etc. However, problems with violence do sometimes occur along the nightclub strip in Kuta.

In your advice, how can tourists avoid the problems?

  
My advice would be to never become in involved with in an altercation with the locals or any nightclub security staff in Bali. I have seen a lot of tourists get hurt this way. I would also only carry small amounts of cash and a cheap phone on any night out.

Is there a lot of criminality in other parts of Bali than Kuta also?

Kuta would be the hub of criminality in Bali, that said it is a small island and most of the bad element lives in the capital Denpasar.  The criminal element then travel to Kuta, Seminyak, Sanur, and other tourist destinations. The distance between these places is relatively short.

Can the police be trusted? Are they only corrupted or also straight involved in criminal activity?

It is always wise to have some money in your wallet if you intend to trust the police.

Can you trust anyone there? Locals or westerners?

Most Indonesians are good people that will do anything to help travellers in their country. Unfortunately there are also a small number of people that cannot be trusted. I guess it comes down to the individual judging the person they are dealing with.

Are all the gangs locals or have the western people formed those too?

A few western motorcycle gangs are moving into Bali, but at the moment the locals have most of the control.

What's the difference between a local and an expat criminal?

The local will generally have relatives or they will know somebody with connections. The local will generally win most disputes. 

How can an average tourist spot a scam? In other words, how not to get screwed?

Do due diligence, check everything twice or three times, and always hire an outside source to go over any paper work before signing. Never accept the lawyer or Notaris that is offered to you in any land deal.  Sometimes it helps to ask someone who has lived in Bali a long time to recommend a trusted lawyer or Notaris.

You've probably seen a lot of other destinies like that? Is it very common?

Bali has its own uniqueness but most places in South East Asia, if not the world, have their problems.

What about the good sides of Kuta / Bali?

I would not have been able to live in Bali for eight years if it didn’t have a good side. When I wrote Bali Raw I had grown weary of all the wonderful things that were being written about Bali. I wanted to level the scales slightly, tell people about the other side of Bali.

What's your upcoming book about?

I have written another book about Bali that will be published soon, I am also close to completing a book about Thailand, but at the moment most of my focus is on screenplays. 

I have completed  two screenplays at present. One script is based in Cambodia and it is titled, ‘No Negotiation No Ransom’ it is the true story of an Australian who was kidnapped by the Khmer Rouge in 1994. 

The other is a horror/comedy titled Dog House that was written for the American market. I have recently started another about the Bali Bombings that is loosely titled, Heroes.

Anything else you'd like to say about Bali?

Not really, I hope I said everything that needed to be said in my two books.

Bali Thugs Target Young Female Tourists

Random photo, the people in this picture were not involved in the crime that was committed in the following story.

Recently I received an email from a friend of mine that lives in Bali. And I felt that it was important that I share this e-mail if only to warn people that they should be careful. On the same day I also read an article in my local Australian newspaper. It would seem to me that damming reports are coming out of Bali far too frequently. And I have to wonder just what effect this is having on the islands future tourist industry; the article seems to answer this question. The newspaper article can be found by following this link: https://www.facebook.com/baliraw

Hi Malcolm please feel free to use the following experience on your blog if you think it is appropriate.

A week ago I was sitting in a restaurant directly opposite the T-junction on the 1-way section of Legian Street, whereby you can turn left towards the memorial or right to Melasti Street. At the T-junction you have a new circle K on your right. Across the road in front of the restaurant there are normally a group of Balinese men with bikes numbering between 3 and 5 people. There seems to be a leader who is in his forties, he is well-built and he always wears dark glasses. I was waiting in the restaurant for my wife who was involved in a business meeting around the corner. And because I had nothing better to do I was keeping an eye on this group. I am also relatively fluent in Bahasa Indonesian and I know a smattering of the Balinese language. And so I could tell that they were speaking to each other in Balinese dialect.  

While I sat watching two more Balinese men showed up and they parked their bikes and then greeted the group. It was obvious to me that they were all friends or at the very least they were associates. There was then a bit of a commotion and the two new arrivals ran across the road and they entered the circle K convenience store. Inside the store were two young Western girls who appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen years old. The Balinese men then proceeded to place their arms about the girl’s shoulders and they began to flirt with them somewhat aggressively. Being that I have lived in Bali for the past fifteen years I see this all the time. And whether the girls like it or not, it is quite common for Indonesian men to behave in this way when approaching young tourist women. After the brief encounter in the convenience store one of the Balinese men came running outside. He then made a show to his mates that he was holding something under his right arm. I also noticed that he had a triumphant smirk on his face. He then ran to his bike and he jumped on and took off at speed down Legian Street. He was heading towards the bombing victims memorial. The two girls then followed him from the convenience store and I noticed that they looked very concerned. They were searching in a bag, and in their pockets, and it seemed obvious that they were they were missing something.

Hearing Australian accents and thinking that I may be able to help. I crossed the road and I asked the young ladies if there was a problem. One of the girls then told me that she had somehow lost her I phone. And that she had been using it moments before they had entered the store. I then quietly told them what I had seen and what I suspected. And I added that the man who had just left the store was associated with the men sitting across the street. I then noticed that the leader of the group and one of his associates had crossed the road and that they were standing behind me. When I turned both of them gave me a threatening, don’t become involved look. And when I backed off they then proceeded to ask the girl what her problem was.  The girl who had her phone pinched then yelled at him that his friend had stolen her phone from her. The leader then gave the girl a menacing look, and he then asked her in an obviously bullying tone what she intended to do about it. He did not seem too concerned that he was threatening a young tourist woman in broad daylight.

By that stage I had seen enough and so I then pulled the girls aside and away from the thug. I was worried that he might do something stupid and so I invited them to join me in the restaurant across the street. I then explained that there really wasn’t much I could do about getting the phone back. But I suggested that they find a policeman. And I told them where the nearest police box was located. I also told them that I would stay in the restaurant and keep an eye on the group until they returned. The girls then left to find the police and once they were gone. The group climbed onto their bikes and one by one they road past where I was sitting. The leader of the group was the last to leave and his threatening stare left me in no doubt that he wasn’t happy about my interference.

When the girls returned I called them over and I told them the Balinese men had left. I then apologised because I could not stop them from taking off. The young women then told me that they could not find any police to help. They then went on to explain that they knew the guys as they had met the night before. Their hotel was just up the road and they passed the spot regularly. Then the friend of the victim said they had been with them the night before and that she had also had her phone stolen. She added that she did not suspect it was the Balinese guys because they thought they were their friends. I should also mention that the girls had made a police report the previous night when the first phone was taken.

Malcolm I am writing this email is because although I have lived in Bali a long time. And I have never seen a crime this blatant being committed in the open. The theft was committed at lunchtime around 2 p.m. in the afternoon. The staff in the circle k could see what was going on and the staff members in the restaurant were also aware. I know this because I overheard them discussing the theft in Indonesian. I was also given the distinct impression that they did not care less about the robbery and that some of them found it amusing. I would also bet that if I were to go to that corner right now the same gang would be hanging around. What also struck me was how well the theft was organised and how well it was carried out. To my mind it was obviously well practiced. And therefore I would have to consider that this was not the first time it had been perpetrated. I was also shocked that the group had no real fear of police involvement and they were quite willing to use intimidation when questioned by the young lady.  

We all hear the stories of the nightly robberies in Bali and how the thieves prey on revellers who have had too much to drink. But it now seems that these thugs are willing to cowardly prey on young tourist girls in the middle of the day. And that they will do it on the main street with no fear of arrest. I have lived in Bali for close to fifteen years. But it is my experience that these crimes are getting far worse and far more frequent. I would also be able to identify the leader of the group to the police. But I was left with little doubt that I would put myself in danger if I did so. The leader of the group made this abundantly clear when he rode away from the scene of the crime.

Malcolm I love Bali and I have made it my home. But it really concerns me that some people within the Balinese community, not Javanese, would stoop to such a low act. Do they not realise that if they continue to prey on tourists, the very lifeblood of their economy, the tourists will stop coming?  Do they not understand that they are shooting themselves in the foot, and that they are going to hurt the wider and more honest members of their own community? It saddens me that it is coming to this but crime in Bali is escalating. And I have to say that after witnessing this event that I am now considering pulling up stumps and finding a less crime ridden place to live.