KUALA LUMPUR: Incidents of rude and disrespectful behaviour towards Malaysian cultures prompted local residents of Abdullah Hukum Apartment to report the surge in undocumented foreign nationals to authorities.
Residents association chairman Mohd Rosdin Mohamad Noor, 61, said the last time a raid occurred was roughly six to eight years ago.
However, he said there has been a recent and significant increase in the number of foreign residents, a situation he deemed critical.
Rosdin, who has been residing in the apartment since 2007, expressed discomfort as the area where he grew up has been inundated with foreign residents in recent years.
He highlighted that it was in 2010 that the foreign residents began settling in this apartment.
"I was born here in Abdullah Hukum. How can I allow my home to be portrayed as a settlement for immigrants?
"This problem originates with the homeowners, who are locals, and they are renting to undocumented immigrants," he told reporters today.
He said the homeowners did not consider the safety of the remaining local residents who had to endure the unruly behaviour of foreigners.
Meanwhile, a local resident, Hairie Harun, 25, said the influx of foreigners settling in the area has been ongoing for over 10 years.
"Initially, those who lived here had permits, but when they left, others took their place.
"These foreign residents are disrespecting Malaysian culture, frequently engaging in open-air gambling. Some of them even organise late-night parties, creating disturbances for those with children," he said.
Hairie, who also works as retail staff at a nearby mall, claimed that the local residents are dissatisfied with homeowners renting houses to foreigners, as the government provides homes and relocation for them.
The homeowners, he said, are making a profit while compromising the lives and safety of the local residents.
Earlier this morning, the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department detained 567 undocumented foreign nationals, including a one-year-four-month-old baby, in a raid at Abdullah Hukum Apartment in Jalan Bangsar earlier this morning (Dec 30).
Its director, Syamsul Badrin Mohshin said in the 1.15am raid, 85 immigration officers checked over 1,000 local and foreign nationals and detained 528 males, 38 females, and a child.
He said the detainees were from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, India, Nepal and Philippines.