KUALA LUMPUR: The recent raid by police in Jalan Silang did not hamper the remaining foreigners there to leisure around during the Christmas holiday.
Despite a decrease of around 60 to 70 per cent of foreigners, many of them were seen loitering in the area dubbed 'Mini Dhaka' to take advantage of the Christmas public holiday.
A survey by Berita Harian around noon today found thousands of foreign residents from West Asian countries leisurely strolling along the pedestrian walkways in the area.
Some were engaged in group conversations, while others took selfies, chatted on their phones, or hung around.
They were also seen shopping for daily necessities.
Trader Faezah Jalal, said today seemed different from other public holidays as there were not as many foreign residents in Jalan Silang, possibly due to the police raids conducted yesterday.
"As a trader, sales haven't been great today. Perhaps many of them (foreign residents) are afraid to come out for leisure activities.
"On other public holidays or weekends, this area would be packed, and we'd be overwhelmed with customers," she said.
Last Thursday, a massive operation commenced at 11am on Jalan Silang, with about 60 premises in that location and around Kota Raya Complex being inspected, resulting in the detention of 1,101 foreigners for checks.
This operation followed reports and complaints from residents feeling uneasy and uncomfortable due to the dominance of foreigners, with some becoming increasingly arrogant towards locals.
Meanwhile, clothing trader Mohd Kadir Jusoh, shared similar sentiments, observing a 'quiet' Jalan Silang, despite many scattered individuals present.
"The numbers today are very low because typically, this area would be crowded with foreign residents, and buying and selling activities would be bustling.
"But today, perhaps those out for leisure have valid documents. Usually, the pedestrian walkways here are so packed that it's difficult for people to pass through," he said.
Coconut vendor Waljafri, admitted that sales were lower compared to other public holidays.
He mentioned that on holidays, he could sell up to 50 coconuts by noon and over 100 by the evening, but today, only a few coconuts were sold.
"Even regular customers didn't buy anything today," he said.
A Bangladeshi worker mentioned that many of his friends did not venture out to Jalan Silang today, possibly due to the recent police operation.
"There aren't many out today. If you look, only a small number of Bangladeshis are out here for leisure.
"Perhaps they're also afraid of sudden operations like the one that happened before," he said.
MD Mohsin, another Bangladeshi, said that while he was here for work, many more of his compatriots would usually be around, but that was not the case now.
"On a normal holiday, it would be very crowded today, but now even the businesses aren't making any profit. Many friends have been complaining for the past two to three days that no one is coming to buy, and the boss also says it's not profitable," he said.