THE Summit Bukit Mertajam in Penang, which was a premier mall in the early 2000s, is now an example of a revived commercial area thanks to foreigners.

Retailers started to move out of the mall as new developments came up in Bukit Mertajam, the heart of mainland Penang.

However, these empty spaces have been revitalised into shops selling goods catering to the needs of foreigners, particularly those from Bangladesh, Nepal, the Philippines and Pakistan.

Retail assistants at The Summit told The Malaysian Insight that almost all of the mall’s patrons are foreigners.

“Very few Malaysians come by compared to non-Malaysians,” said Jesen Ong, a handphone salesman.

He added that most of the shops operated by foreigners are licensed.

Many of these stores are managed by Pakistani and Bangladeshi workers.

A salesman who declined to be named said Malaysians hardly come to the mall to shop, although there are still outlets managed by locals.

A businessman who runs a shop in a pre-war heritage building near The Summit said the situation is no different in Jalan Ooh Chooi Cheng and Jalan Stesen.

Shops, including those of vegetable wholesalers and traders selling imported goods, have sprouted in these pre-war buildings over the years.

The businessman said some of the licences for these stores are registered under the names of the foreigners’ local spouses.

“They are not illegal immigrants, they have permits to work, but they are not supposed to work in shops. Some hold employment permits for other sectors, so they are still abusing their permits.”

The businesses run by foreigners hardly employ locals.

The town is also usually flooded with foreigners on the weekends.

“The local council here can only issue licences provided that these traders are registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia.”

The Malaysian Insight has contacted the Seberang Prai City Council for comments.

The case of foreigners taking over businesses is not exclusive to Bukit Mertajam.

In the Klang Valley, Jalan Silang now has sundry shops, restaurants and fashion stores dominated by Myanmar nationals, Nepalis, Indonesians, Filipinos and Bangladeshis.

Similarly, Medan Pasar in the Kuala Lumpur city centre is populated by Nepali shops. – December 29, 2019.