FOREIGN WORKERS IN SINGAPORE (Housing)

Mr Chia Shi Teck asked the Minister for Labour (a) what are the major groups of foreign workers in Singapore; (b) how are they presently housed; and (c) whether housing for them has become a problem and how he proposes to solve it.

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, the vast majority of foreign workers in Singapore work in the manufacturing sector, the construction sector and as domestic workers. Domestic workers, of course, live with their employers in the employers' residence, while most construction workers stay in workers' quarters on construction sites. As for manufacturing workers who are mainly Malaysians, some of them live in rented HDB flats or private residences while others live in Johor Bahru and commute daily across the Causeway to work in Singapore.

The Government is aware that some employers with a large number of foreign workers have difficulties providing proper accommodation for their foreign workers. To increase the supply of foreign workers' housing, the Ministry of National Development has allowed employers to build dormitories within their factory premises for their foreign workers. There is also a scheme for employers to lease State land to build and manage dormitories for their large foreign workforce. In addition, the Ministry has also begun to sell residential sites on 60-year leases to provide lower cost private housing for foreign workers and Singaporeans. The Government will continue to monitor the situation and look into new measures to overcome the problem of accommodation for the foreign workforce.

Mr Chia Shi Teck (Nominated Member): Sir, does the Minister see the present situation as problematic? And does the Minister see the loitering of foreign workers during weekends in public places as a problem? Could it be that it is because they have bad housing that they have to go to public areas?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Sir, providing accommodation to the foreign workforce is a difficult problem to resolve in view of the shortage of suitable housing for the foreign workers. The Ministry of National Development has taken steps to provide more land for building dormitories for employers who have a lot of foreign workers.

I do not think that by providing more proper accommodation for the foreign workers will stop entirely the habit or the preference of the foreign workers on their day off from work to gather in certain places to meet their friends and to socialise. While we must continue to try to find ways and means of resolving this accommodation problem, let us not expect that the provision of accommodation would mean that all the foreign workers will stop congregating in certain areas during the weekend or during their day off. This is an opportunity for them to meet fellow countrymen and to socialise. So we may still have to accept that some congregations will take place, be it in Little India, Beach Road or at the Lucky Plaza Shopping Centre.

Mr Chia Shi Teck: Sir, would recreational facilities be considered as part of the overall solution that the Minister is proposing?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Sir, I would expect that when employers build dormitories for their workers, particularly if such dormitories are located in their factories, they will consider this factor about providing some recreational facilities for their workers who are living in the dormitories.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Sir, as regards foreign workers who work at construction sites, they have temporary accommodation at the construction sites. I think the main problem is those foreign workers who work in the manufacturing sector. From my experience, there is pressure for accommodation for these workers. Is the Ministry, together with the Ministry of National Development, doing something to open up more HDB flats to be used as dormitories for these workers?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Sir, there is a limit to how many HDB flats can be made available to the foreign workforce in Singapore. We must bear in mind that HDB builds flats essentially to serve the needs of Singapore citizens, be it by way of sale of flats to them or by rental flats to the lower income group. It is only when there are surplus rental flats available that HDB can set aside some of these flats for the foreign workers or for the employers to rent en bloc and use them to accommodate their foreign workers. So there will always be a limit. We should not take the position that HDB should go all out to provide accommodation for the foreign workforce in Singapore.

Mr Robert Chua Teck Chew: Sir, the idea of allowing owners of factories to build dormitories for foreign workers is an excellent idea. May I know from the Minister whether the rules concerning usage of factories, ie, the 60:40 ratio and so on have been changed so that factory owners can in fact build dormitories and not violate any of these standing rules?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Sir, I am afraid the Member's question on details of the planning rules and criteria should be directed to the Minister for National Development, because I am not in a position to answer the specifics on the planning norms. My understanding is that the Ministry of National Development is now agreeable to factory owners who have sufficient land or space on their factory site to set aside some space to erect workers' accommodation, particularly for the foreign workforce. For the details, the Member has to refer to the Ministry of National Development.

Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang): Mr Speaker, Sir, before I ask Question No. 11, I would like to ask why one of the Questions for Oral Answer which I submitted to Parliament on 12th July is not printed in the Order Paper.

Mr Speaker: I think your Question is set down for tomorrow. So are you asking this Question?

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Question No. 11, Sir.