Kuala Lumpur has changed significantly over the decades, but one local woman said the growing number of foreigners in certain neighbourhoods has made her feel increasingly disconnected from the city she grew up in.
In a Threads post, the woman claimed she was born in Kuala Lumpur and had lived in Ampang her entire life.
‘It feels like I’m no longer living in my own country’
According to her, one of the most noticeable changes was the increasing number of foreign residents from different countries around the capital.
I was born in Kuala Lumpur and have lived in Ampang since birth. I’m starting to feel uncomfortable with the growing number of foreigners. It feels like I’m not living in my own country,” she wrote.
She singled out areas such as Lembah Jaya and Bukit Ampang, claiming they had become popular gathering spots for foreigners and resembled towns in Indonesia.
However, she clarified that her concern was not solely about their nationality, but what she described as a lack of respect for the country and its surroundings.
I have no problem if they behave properly. The problem is that some of them don’t. It doesn’t matter which country they come from, every group has problematic individuals,” she said.
She also claimed it was difficult for foreigners to develop a sense of patriotism towards Malaysia if it was not their home country.
Some locals raised concerns about housing and cleanliness
The post prompted several other Kuala Lumpur residents to share similar frustrations in the comments.
One commenter claimed foreigners were able to rent cheaper homes by living together in larger groups, while many Malaysians continued struggling to afford rent on their own.
Others blamed the growing foreign population for cleanliness issues, saying certain places were beginning to look poorly maintained.
Another commenter claimed the increasing number of Indonesian residents had made some locals feel looked down upon, while others agreed that parts of the city no longer felt familiar to them.
