THERE have been numerous reports of African tenants being unwelcome in condominiums. In recent months, there have been many complaints from Malaysian Indians about being unable to rent a room or apartment,

A Malaysian Indian woman said she had tried 300 agents and landlords who had all rejected her as a tenant solely because of her ethnicity.

I drove a taxi in the Klang Valley in 2000 to 2010 without ever being robbed although many of my passengers were foreign workers and Africans that other taxi drivers would shun.

During the decade I was driving a taxi, there were indeed many Africans of dubious characters staying in our country and harassing our women. This caused many Malaysians to start treat all Africans the same and to regard them all as Nigerian conmen. Of course, this is not right as there are good and bad people of every race, religion and nationality.

In 2001, Kuala Lumpur was overwhelmed by Arab tourists to the extent that some hotels would only accommodate them if they could produce a recommendation letter from their embassy. This was also because the hotels often had to refurbish the guest rooms that they had damaged during their occupation.

It is a situation similiar to that of landlords whose foreign tenants allow their children to use the walls of the apartment as canvases. I am not surprised that the people letting out their rooms, apartments or houses have to be selective about their tenants.

In 1975, I encountered no problems renting a room on Jalan Ipoh in Kuala Lumpur. In 1977, I secured a house near Jalan Segambut, followed by a shophouse apartment in Pudu in 1978. I occupied rooms in City Tower from 1981 to 1988, an apartment in City One in 2000, and another apartment in Bandar Sri Permaisuri in 2005.

I left the last two apartments better equipped than when i moved in, leaving behind a proper kitchen sink, ceiling fan and air-conditioner that I paid to install. The units were also swept clean.

Each property I rented was personally scouted by me. I would explore suitable areas, look for “To Let” signs, and make a decision after inspecting the interior. I was never rejected by from any landlord.

Since 2007, I have lived in a condominium near the city centre. It comprises four blocks of medium-height apartments on spacious grounds. It is usually very quiet here except during a nearby temple occasionally celebrates festivals at night, as happened recently.

Over the past 16 years, I’ve seen many tenants come and go, especially those from my block. Periodically, small groups of Vietnamese women are brought in by syndicates to work as “ladies of the night”. They stay for a few weeks and try to keep a low profile.

Given its proximity to an international school, the condominium is popular among foreigners. I often share the elevator with a kind, tall African woman who appears to be a teacher, a slim African girl who likely is a student, and a Malay lady teacher. All of them appear to be gentle people.

There used to be more Chinese nationals residing here, and they tended to be louder due to their naturally forceful speaking style, which is not to my liking. Similarly, local Indians can also be noisy, often speaking loudly even when they are close together.

Unfortunately, the apartment floors here are thin. I am often disturbed by the upstairs occupant dragging the chair throughout the day and sometimes in the middle of the night. Before daybreak, someone may be pounding the pestle, gently, but can still be heard many floors away.

Nonetheless, on the whole, I’m content with my current residence. It’s like a “bungalow in the sky” becayse it’s a corner unit that doesn’t share any common walls with the neighbours. The only minor nuisance is the pigeons that like to perch outside my windows.

In conclusion, I encourage both property owners and occupants to avoid stereotyping and instead meet with prospective tenants so that both parties to fairly assess each other. Let’s open our hearts and our worlds by freely mixing and welcoming everyone who is good, regardless of their race. – October 24, 2023.

* YS Chan reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.