THE GENERAL election is coming, and we will expect to see our politicians running about convincing people that they have and will continue to do a good job.
Perhaps this is the best time to point out the migrant problem which has been going on since forever.
So it comes as no surprise that the social media is currently flooded with news about illegal migrant buildings, unauthorised farms and the list goes on.
And today, it is a stretch of shoplots apparently run by Bangladeshis as seen in this video post by netizen @Y_X_sucks.
In the video, viewers can observe that the place was being overrun by migrants. This is just the start of the problem.
Usahawan kesayangan DBKL 😅 pic.twitter.com/XpREMOFV7l
— Tony Montana 🦅 (@Y_X_sucks) June 13, 2026
The shop lot keepers appear to be migrants too. Is this the first sign of decay within the system of law and order in Malaysia?
Accompanying this video was a wave of cynical complaints and laments from concerned netizens. A good number of them pointed out the inefficiency of the authorities to curb such illegal activities.
Several others tagged Anwar Ibrahim and Hannah Yeoh in a bid to gain their attention.
Netizen @spidergladiator further identified the location as Southgate, Chan Sow Lin. Apparently the office where the Bangladeshis renewed their passport was situated there.
According to him, the shoplots there belonged to the locals who allowed the Bangladeshis to run it. @spidergladiator claimed the owners then collect money by the end of the month.
If what he says is true, then these Bangladeshi-run shops are legal after all. But @bukanbeshe2 doesn’t think so. He opines that these shops should be closed down regardless.
And now when we think about it, whose fault is this? The migrants or our very own fellow Malaysians?
The bigger question is not whether migrants are present in these businesses, but how such ecosystems are allowed to flourish in plain sight for years without meaningful intervention.
If laws have been broken, enforcement agencies must act. If loopholes exist, policymakers must close them.
And if locals are indeed facilitating or profiting from such arrangements, then the issue extends far beyond the migrants themselves.
As election season approaches, voters may want more than promises and slogans. They may want answers.
Because a problem that has persisted for decades is no longer just an immigration issue — it is a test of governance, accountability and the willingness of authorities to enforce the rules fairly and consistently.
Until those questions are addressed, the debate will continue, and so will the perception that some laws are enforced more vigorously than others.—June 15, 2026
Main image: @Y_X_sucks (X)
