Myanmarese, Nepalese, Indonesians, Filipinos and Bangladeshis have 'colonialised' several areas in the federal capital, including parts of Sentul, Cheras, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Tun Perak.

Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin, still better known by its former name Jalan Silang, in the heart of the city, is typical of an area that foreigners have made their own.

Monitoring the area for a week is enough for Bernama journalists to feel like they were in another country as foreign nationals especially Bangladeshis, filled every nook and cranny doing a myriad of businesses.

These foreigners were seen to have dominated sundry shops, restaurants and fashion stores and not seemed awkward at all to be in this foreign land.

In fact, it was the locals, who received the uncomfortable glances every time they passed through the area, as if they were the foreigners.

Looking at the foreign language signage and advertising board will make anyone look askance whether he is in Malaysia, Bangladesh or Nepal.

Local traders are aliens

"The local community calls it the Bangla City because of the teeming Bangladeshi nationals here," said a trader who only wanted to be known as Along.

He said in the 10 years he had been running his business there, it was difficult to catch sight of a local citizen and the majority of people he saw were foreign men.

"Maybe the locals, especially women, are afraid to be in the area because of the huge number of foreigners who love to hang out here in groups," he said.

A local trader, known as Miss Lim, said she was so used to seeing hundreds of foreign nationals in front of her textile shop in Jalan Silang.

"I've been wondering how they can be allowed to conduct businesses here when it is mandatory for us local citizens to have business licences.

"If one notices, most of the goods sold here are products from their own countries. How did they get those items in?" she said, adding that the influx of foreign traders here had also made local traders aliens in their own country.

- Bernama