FOREIGN WORKER DORMITORIES

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FOREIGN WORKER DORMITORIES:

(Criteria for choosing of sites): 17.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked the Minister for National Development (a) what are his Ministry's considerations in placing foreign worker dormitories in relatively close proximity to residential areas, such as Serangoon Gardens; (b) in view of Singapore's long-term dependence on foreign workers, whether his Ministry has considered designating restricted zones in areas further from residential areas such as industrial zones or nearby islands; and (c) what are the common issues often associated with complaints from residents and what is his Ministry's assessment of measures to control undesirable consequences and social impact to residents.

18.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for National Development in the

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light of the wide public discussion on living quarters and townships for foreign workers, (a) what are the criteria used to choose sites for accommodation of foreign workers; (b) if townships or large dormitories are built, how can citizens be assured that foreign workers will not congregate to create disturbances that may jeopardise national security; (c) what measures will be taken to prevent these townships from becoming a refuge bed for criminals and other illegal activities; (d) whether dormitory owners be made to shoulder heavier responsibilities for their tenants' conduct and bear the cost of policing these townships.

The Minister for National Development (Mr Mah Bow Tan): Mr Speaker, Sir, may I take Question Nos. 17 and 18 together?

Mr Speaker: Yes.

Mr Mah Bow Tan: Let me start by putting the foreign worker housing issue in context. After a number of years of slow growth, the economy picked up sharply in the past two to three years. The strong economic rebound in turn resulted in a spike in the demand for manpower, therefore more foreign workers had to be allowed in.

If we did not do so, business costs and costs of living would have increased even more sharply. These foreign workers were needed to fuel our economic recovery in various sectors – to support property and infrastructural development, to keep our manufacturing sector competitive against lower cost countries and to support the growth in our services sector.

My Ministry has adopted a range of measures to address the downstream housing needs of the foreign workers. First of all, we facilitate on-site housing for construction workers. We allow

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industrial premises to be converted into dormitories and we provide permanent dormitories for these workers. Foreign workers can also rent residential premises for their housing needs.

In identifying sites for dormitory development, we consider a number of factors, for example, whether the sites are in health and safety buffer zones and therefore could pose health risks to workers, whether there is adequate infrastructure to support the development, and so on. As far as possible, worker dormitories are located further away from residential areas. There are currently 25 dormitory developments providing close to 100,000 dormitory bed spaces. These are in various parts of Singapore, and many are located within or at the fringe of industrial estates.

The Government has released 11 sites since February 2007 that can provide up to 65,000 new beds by 2010. As these sites are in more remote areas, time is needed to put in the necessary infrastructure such as sewerage, roads, and so on.

Notwithstanding these efforts, there is still a shortage of housing for foreign workers in view of the exceptional increase in numbers in the last few years. The number of foreign workers, excluding domestic maids, increased by 55,000 in 2006. But, in 2007, the number increased by another 102,000, in other words, double or almost double the increase between 2006 and 2007.

So even as more permanent dormitories come on-stream, temporary dormitories are needed urgently to meet the current shortage of worker housing. We will build temporary dormitories on vacant state lands. We will also convert vacant state properties, vacant buildings, into temporary dormitories. The Serangoon Gardens Technical School site is one such site for a temporary dormitory

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development. These state lands and state properties are generally nearer to residential areas and will cause some inconvenience to residents living nearby. However, they are meant as temporary measures only, until permanent dormitories are available.

For all dormitory developments, whether temporary or permanent, we will seek to ensure that the disamenities are kept to a minimum. We have asked the dormitory operators to provide amenities within their premises to reduce the need for workers to access facilities outside. They are also required to put in place a set of security measures, including access control, visitor registration and perimeter fences. All these measures will serve to curb unauthorised access into the dormitories and deter illegal activities.

MND will also work with the relevant Advisor and grassroots leaders on specific measures to reduce disamenities, with reference to the specific characteristics of the site. For instance, at Serangoon Gardens, we will construct a new access road to serve the temporary dormitory so that the development is completely segregated from the local traffic network of the estate.

Sir, in land scarce Singapore, it is a challenge to house an increasing foreign worker population. I do not believe that it is a good idea to completely isolate the foreign workers from the local population. In practice, even if we wanted to do that, there is a limit to such a policy. As Singapore becomes more built up, it is likely that these developments will be closer to residential areas over time.

For instance, even if we locate these facilities within industrial areas, many new industrial estates are already located in closer proximity to residential areas. If the demand for worker housing grows

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over time, we will build permanent dormitories to a higher density in order to optimise land. These will not be "townships" on the same scale as HDB towns. But these will be more intensive developments which will be equipped with more comprehensive amenities to make them self-sufficient.

But, Sir, this issue cannot be resolved by Government alone. We must each play our part. While the Government will seek to ensure adequate housing facilities and step up enforcement against any crime and littering problems, employers must take on the responsibility of planning for adequate housing for their employees and educating them on the social norms here. The community can also help by working closely with the police and dormitory operators on joint projects to further enhance the safety and security of their neighbourhoods.

In the final analysis, the larger issue is about a choice that we have to make collectively as a nation. Since the early days of industrialisation, we have relied on foreign workers to augment the workforce and also to take up jobs that Singaporeans avoid. However, there is a social cost to be paid. In land scarce Singapore, they will have to share our common space and facilities. The presence of a large group of people, with different habits and customs, and unfamiliar with our social norms, can create suspicion and anxiety. So we have to make a choice. If we want more foreign workers, we must collectively make adjustments to resolve the social problems. If we want fewer foreign workers, we must be prepared for slower growth, higher costs, lower service level, and delays in the completion of our flats, roads and rail lines. We have decided to go for growth because it is good for Singapore and for Singaporeans. But, going forward, we may need to review if a new balance is needed.

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3.00 pm

Mr Speaker: Order. End of Question Time.

[ Pursuant to Standing Order No. 22, Written Answers to Question Nos. 28-30, 42, 47, 58-59, 62 and 63 on the Order Paper are reproduced in the Appendix*. Question Nos. 19-27, 31-41, 43-46, 48-57, 60 and 61 have been postponed to the sitting of Parliament on 21st October 2008 .]

*Cols. 449-462.