Malaysian police raid against illegal migrant workers fuels ‘xenophobic’ views amid calls for greater tolerance
- The raid in central Kuala Lumpur has led to many Bangladeshi workers becoming fearful and avoiding the area
- Malaysia’s economy is highly dependent on migrant workers taking up low-paying jobs that are shunned by many locals
Over 1,100 undocumented migrants were detained after Thursday’s raid along Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin, pejoratively dubbed “Mini Dhaka” by locals for the predominance of Bangladeshi businesses and workers in the area.
The raid saw over 1,000 officers from the Royal Malaysian Police’s paramilitary wing – which is normally tasked with counter-insurgency and counterterrorism – deployed to search premises and check the relevant documents of foreign workers.
Previously a hub for buses in the city centre, Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin is cluttered with derelict shop lots that are now mostly occupied by migrant-owned businesses including restaurants, telecommunications stores and remittance offices serving Bangladeshi workers that form the backbone of many construction projects in the city.
In the lead-up to Christmas, Bangladeshi-run businesses continue to open in the area, albeit with lesser foot traffic compared with past holiday seasons.
“Many [Bangladeshis] got scared after what happened,” said Habibur Rahman, a Bangladeshi man selling luggage at one of the stores.