Self-contained communities the answer to housing woes?
IF SELF-CONTAINED communities for foreign workers are to be set up, the search for expertise need not go beyond home turf.
Home-grown company Mini Environment Service (MES) already has legs in the business: It designed two such communities in the Middle East and runs four dormitories here.
The one in Qatar serves 50,000 workers, and the one in Abu Dhabi, 125,000. Each has a motel, polyclinic and a canteen that can seat 6,000 people, said company director Mohamad Abdul Jalil.
He reckons that the industry here has 100,000 to 150,000 bed spaces - clearly insufficient for the 500,000 male foreign workers here.
‘At the very least, we should have half, or 250,000 bed spaces. But we don’t even have that many,’ he said.
He added that it is possible to set up self-contained communities here, but that they had to be away from residential areas to avoid social problems.
Other dormitory operators here also think such communities are feasible. Going by building requirements here, 6ha to 7ha of land would be needed for 19,000 to 20,000 workers. Tuas and Lim Chu Kang are possible sites, said veteran dormitory consultant Lakshmanan S.
‘Each dormitory has 3,000 to 8,000 workers. A community would put three to four dormitories together. We think Singapore is land-scarce but there’s space. It’s not a major issue,’ he added.
But some dormitory operators here say a study should first be done. Mr Andy Low, the general manager of EM Services, which rents out flats to workers, said some contractors do not want a dormitory too far from the workplace, or may not want their workers mingling with others.
‘Singapore is small so, no matter where you put them, they will still be close to estates. What will the impact of such communities be on estates? A study must look into this,’ he said.
Mr Lakshmanan pointed out that worker communities may not isolate workers as effectively as intended: ‘The workers will still find the best deals outside. They look for certain brands of beer in the heartland or shop at Sheng Siong because it’s cheaper.’
The Government has said it will release 11 new dormitory sites by 2010, which will add 65,000 more bed spaces.
At least four new dormitories will open this year and take in 20,000 workers, though this will hardly make a dent in easing the housing shortage for workers, said dormitory operators.
The new purpose-built workers’ dormitories constructed by Aik Chuan Construction in Jurong, Sembawang, Yishun and Lim Chu Kang will have facilities like central kitchens, dining and laundry areas, recreational rooms and gymnasiums. Each can house 4,000 to 8,000 workers.
Source : Straits Times - 16 Sept 2008
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