Malaysia's stance on LGBTQ+ rights has been a topic of international concern, and in a country with strict anti-LGBTQ+ laws, queer individuals traveling to Malaysia often find themselves navigating a complex and cautious journey. Recently, a Scottish content creator, Nessie, and her girlfriend Becca shared their experiences of traveling around Malaysia, as part of that community.

Nessie and Becca, a same-sex couple from Scotland, have been documenting their Southeast Asian adventures, with Malaysia as their latest destination. When one of their followers inquired about their experiences as a lesbian couple in Malaysia, Becca revealed that they had taken precautions to avoid trouble.

"Malaysia is not a safe country for LGBTQ+ individuals or couples. We pretended to be just friends most of the time. However, we do feel a lot safer at popular tourist spots in Kuala Lumpur as it is a cosmopolitan city," Becca explained. She emphasized that they enjoyed their stay and loved Malaysia but refrained from any public displays of affection, such as holding hands, to avoid unnecessary attention.

Watch their video below, or click here to watch it on TikTok:

@nessieandbecca Is it safe to #visitmalaysia as #lgbtqtravellers ? In our experience, we did not feel safe to be a #samesexcouple publicly in Malaysia so we want to share some #travelsafetytips so that you can enjoy what malaysia has to offer! Save this for more #backpackingseasia Follow us for #malaysiatips #malaysiatravels #backpackingmalaysia #backpackingkualalumpur #visitkl #malaysialgbt #malaysialaw #kualalumpurtravel #lgbtsafetravel #lgbtqsafety Aesthetic - Tollan Kim

Their strategy was simple: prioritize safety by presenting themselves as friends whenever someone asked about their relationship. The comments section of their post was flooded with responses from Malaysian netizens, some of whom acknowledged the legal restrictions but believed that LGBTQ+ individuals would generally not face harassment if they kept a low profile regarding their sexuality.

Others pointed out that public displays of affection are discouraged for both local straight and cisgender couples, attributing it more to cultural norms than sexual or gender identity. 

In relation to that, Becca had advised LGBTQ+ individuals planning to travel to Malaysia to conduct thorough research and consider the social climate for the local queer community. 

The question remains: Is Malaysia a safe destination for the LGBTQ+ community? Comment below.