GEORGE TOWN — It is not feasible to build centralised labour quarters (CLQs) within industrial parks as foreign workers also have human rights, said Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
He acknowledged protests and calls for the state government not to allow the CLQ project to be built in Juru, and to instead construct it within factory grounds or industrial areas, since some factories have workers’ hostels.
However, Chow said there are varied responses to this, with some holding the view that it is not suitable for a semiconductor hub like Penang, which has the reputation of being the Silicon Valley of the East.
“There are also human rights (concerns as well) on how we can confine workers in the factory environment around the clock, where they would be working up to 10 hours and then head back to the hostel which is also located within the factory grounds.
“This is why we allow (CLQs to be built) which is to relocate workers who have been living in residential areas like flats to hostel facilities that are much more suitable to house workers,” Chow told a press conference in Komtar today.
He was asked about residents’ protest to a proposed 32-storey CLQ complex at Mukim 12 in Juru that would accommodate up to 20,000 workers.
On Sunday, around 200 residents staged a peaceful protest in Taman Cendana against the project, citing its proximity to their neighbourhoods, which they fear will affect public safety, traffic congestion, reduced quality of life, and increased pollution.
The proposed development, comprising 1,440 units spread over 5.6 hectares on Lots 10333, 10334, and 10335 in Mukim 12, Juru, would be built by Hunza Land Corporation, which owns the land.
Chow today said the state government will fine-tune existing guidelines on housing workers from time to time.
He added that Penang has to comply with international labour regulations that mandate conducive living environments for workers.
In line with this, CLQs are equipped with amenities such as laundromats, barbershops, grocery shops, and mini-markets so that workers would not have to leave the dormitory complex to get their basic household items.
Yesterday, Scoop reported that the Seberang Perai City Council had informed Chow it has yet to receive any proposal from the developer as it is in the midst of carrying out a social impact assessment (SIA) study on the project and is gathering feedback from the residents living near the proposed project site.
The recent protest against CLQs construction in residential areas is the second one to have taken place in Penang since last year.
On December 30 last year, nearly 1,000 residents in Teluk Kumbar, Bayan Lepas protested against the planned construction of two foreign workers’ dormitories in the area, citing concerns about social issues and increased traffic.
According to reports, the dormitories were expected to have a combined capacity of over 30,000 beds, which would double the local population of 15,000. Former Pulau Betong assemblyman Datuk Muhamad Farid Saad was reported saying that these complexes should be built within the industrial zones.
The federal government has mandated that CLQs be built to provide conducive living conditions for foreign workers that the country is heavily dependent on for economic development.
CLQs were introduced following the Covid-19 pandemic when workers who lived in cramped facilities were vulnerable to infection, with some becoming infection clusters.
The construction of these facilities is also in line with conditions stipulated by the Employees’ Minimum Standards of Housing, Accommodations and Amenities Regulations and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) – November 19, 2024