Malaysian heritage site caught in row over non-local staff

Images of a migrant worker apparently guiding visitors around one of Kuala Lumpur’s best-known heritage sites have triggered a backlash in Malaysia, with critics asking why locals were not hired instead.

The row erupted after photos and video circulated online showed visitors being shown around the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, a colonial-era landmark that has overlooked the capital’s Independence Square since the 19th century.

Sharp-eyed viewers noticed that among the staff in KL City Gallery uniforms was a man in a sash reading “May I help?” who social media users claimed was non-local.

The clip quickly ricocheted across social media, with commenters demanding to know why an employee helping to explain Malaysia’s national story of independence and sovereignty to visitors was not a local hire.

KL City Gallery apologised on Monday, confirming that the man was a foreign national but insisting that he had never been appointed as a tour guide.