Filipinos feel right at home in Kota Raya

Kota Raya has been dubbed Little Manila due to its popularity with workers and tourists from the Philippines. — Photos: YAP CHEE HONG and LOW BOON TAT/The Star

ON A weekend visit to Kota Raya Complex, Bahasa Malaysia may seem like a foreign language.

That is because Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines, is more often heard in the vicinity as most shops there cater to the Filipino community.

They include a convenience store called Kapatid, which means sibling in Tagalog.

Maria-Louisa de la Cruz, 71, from Bulakan, Philippines, has been helping the store owner, who is Malaysian, run the place.

“My late husband who was Malaysian used to work here.

“After he passed away in 2018, I took over,” she said of the popular complex located in Kuala Lumpur, at the intersection of Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin (formerly Jalan Silang) and Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, near Leboh Pudu.

Apart from Kapatid, there are several other stores inside the complex, stocking items like biscuits, noodles, canned food and other essentials like toothpaste, shampoo and detergent brands from the Philippines.

Kota Raya is a hub for migrants working in Kuala Lumpur, especially those from the Philippines.

Upstairs, there are other businesses selling clothes, bags, shoes, cosmetics, eateries, hair and beauty salons, money changers, remittance and courier services as well as mobile stores.

Although owned and run by Malaysians, the outlets are largely staffed by foreigners.

Ana Jean Lapada, 39, visits Kota Raya on her day off, which is Sunday, at least once or twice a month.

“I work as a maid in Shah Alam, and take a bus to Kota Raya to meet up with friends who work in different parts of the Klang Valley,” said Lapada, who hails from Delfin Albano and has been working in Malaysia for 10 years.

She and her friends from areas like Sri Hartamas, Mont Kiara and Bangsar would have breakfast together and catch up at Kota Raya.

They would often spend the whole day there, shopping or getting their hair, nails and eyebrows done.

For Myrtle Aparente, 52, Kota Raya is like home.

“They call this place Little Manila for good reason. People can spend the entire day here because everything is available under one roof.

“When we go home, it almost feels like we have spent the day with our family,’’ Aparente said.

Due to the variety of Filipino-centric goods and services, even out-of-towners make a beeline to the area during weekends.

“My boyfriend and I have been wanting to come for a long time.

“There is nothing like Kota Raya for our people in the whole country,’’ said 34-year-old Karen Vinson who lives in Melaka.

“From food to groceries, everything you want from our country can be found here.”

The area is also popular with other foreigners, who often come to visit barber, money changer and mobile phone shops.

De la Cruz’s convenience store sells items sourced from the Philippines.

Restaurant owner and Filipino-Sabahan Mohammad Omar Bitoh, 55, said before the Filipino community started hanging out at Kota Raya, they would meet up at the Sin Sze Si Ya Temple nearby.

“When Kota Raya complex started catering to the Filipino community, it began to regain its popularity.”

A business owner who only wanted to be identified as Faye, has been operating a hair and nail salon on the third floor for more than 20 years.

Faye said Kota Raya started off as a family mall, and became popular with young working adults in the early 1990s.

“People would come here to buy clothes, shoes and costume jewellery and visit the food court.

“When newer malls started opening, things got quieter and many shops closed.

“But, then foreigners started doing business here, starting with Indonesians.

“It later became a hangout for Filipinos, and soon there was an influx of businesses catering to them.”

She said this had driven up rental rates and unit owners started dividing and sub-letting to cash in on Kota Raya’s popularity among the community.

Filipinos (from left) Arlene C. Alicando, Aparente, Joy Handugan and Bhie Alvarado enjoying their weekend outing in Kota Raya.

“It’s expensive to rent here because Kota Raya is in a good location.

“You will notice that some lots are divided into two or three units.

“One half might have a hair salon and the other a cafe.”

It has also become a meeting point for foreigners too.

“You can find many Bangladeshi and Pakistani men coming here.

“Many are homesick and come here for some for social contact,” added de la Cruz.

Visitors will find dozens of Filipino eateries, grocery stores, hair and beauty salons, remittance shops and courier services at the complex.

Outside the complex, the surrounding area has a high concentration of people from South Asian countries working in shops and restaurants.

And just as Kota Raya caters to the Filipino community, these shops help meet the needs of migrant communities from Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Indonesia.

They can be seen visiting shops for essentials from their respective countries in the area and many do some small trading there too.