KUALA LUMPUR: The bustling enclave known as 'Mini Dhaka' here is coming back to life.
A survey by Harian Metro revealed that the area in Jalan Silang and Lebuh Pudu here was full of foreigners during the Chinese New Year public holiday.
Every corner of the area in the city centre was packed with foreigners, mostly Bangladeshis.
During the survey at 11am today, foreigners were seen neglecting cleanliness and were littering.
Some were also seen illegally engaging in businesses such as selling betel leaves, dried fish, pickles and cigarettes along the sidewalks. A few other people were spotted selling prepaid cards and even begging by the roadside.
One of the foreigners interviewed, Hoesin Md Imun, 25, a construction worker from Bangladesh, said utilised his Chinese New Year holidays to meet up with his friends in the city.
"I've taken three days leave to meet three other friends here. They work in Klang. We chose to meet in Jalan Silang because we all know this area," said Hoesin, who lives in Kajang and has been working in Malaysia for five years.
Surprisingly, he was unaware of the recent crackdown by authorities in the area.
Another Bangladeshi, Nabin Biblop, 25, said he was in town to explore the area since he's only been in Malaysia for two months.
"The Chinese New Year holidays are also a time for me to meet my fellow countrymen," said Nabin, who lives in Segambut.
On Dec 21 last year, Jalan Silang and its surrounding areas were subjected to a large-scale crackdown by the police and local authorities.
The extensive operation involved the inspection of 60 premises in and around the Kota Raya Complex, with 1,101 foreign nationals detained for questioning.
The operation was carried out after authorities received complaints from the public who expressed discomfort by the influx of foreigners in tourist hotspots.
People had also said that some areas were practically 'dominated' by foreigners, who at times acted arrogantly.