WITH the number of expatriates and foreigners looking to settle down for the long-term in Malaysia, locals have expressed concerns over the years—mainly about the impact on the Malaysian job market and cost of living.
Most recently, a Malaysian woman voiced her concerns about fellow Malaysians suggesting more affordable neighbourhoods for expatriates to live in.
“When expatriates or white people ask for suggestions on where to settle down in Malaysia, why are you so eager to recommend your own neighbourhoods or areas that have more locals than foreigners?” she questioned in a post on Threads.
She expressed her fears of gentrification if more wealthy foreigners or expatriates begin moving into these residential areas, potentially driving up the cost of living.
“Gentrification is real, you know. It’s already happening in Barcelona, Portugal, Budapest and even Bangkok. A closer example is Johor Bahru.
“Don’t be too generous to the point that our children and we ourselves end up struggling to live in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya,” she added.
She advised Malaysians to stick to the usual suggestions for expatriates, such as KLCC, Mont Kiara, Bangsar, Desa ParkCity, and Ampang Hilir.
Many users agreed with her sentiments, with one user attributing the issue to a culture of “glorifying” foreigners, which leads some Malaysians to promote their own neighbourhoods.
“The moment they give a little praise, we get swept away by it. They wouldn’t care about us if we went to their country anyway,” the user commented.
“Gentrification is happening because our developers are allowed to build unchecked. I wouldn’t mind a few expats in my neighbourhood—if the neighbourhood stays the way it is,” another user pointed out.
One person shared a similar experience while living in Vietnam, claiming the increased presence of expatriates and foreigners had caused rents and food prices to spike.
“Honestly, we just want to share how great life is in our area—but it’s true... once expats move in, property values definitely go up,” another user commented.
