Worker hostels need better regulation
ON June 13, the number of Covid-19 cases in Singapore stood at 40,197. Of this 37,488 were from foreign worker dormitories, ie 93.26%. No figures have been given for cases in dorms in Malaysia – for all we know, the situation could be similar.
Health authorities can walk into any market or eatery at any time, without warning, to audit the level of cleanliness. Can they do the same with foreign worker hostels? As they’re deemed “private property” belonging to the hostel operator, I don’t think the law allows it.
As far as I know, enforcement officers are required to give prior notice of visits. Of course, “forewarned is forearmed”! The workers will be told to clean up and the operator will ensure everything meets health and cleanliness requirements. And on the appointed day, inspection officers will leave impressed. Any workers interviewed would say the hostels are good and they are happy to stay there. They wouldn’t dare to tell the truth (as seen in photographs that emerged after Covid-19 struck) for fear of repercussions.
The Singapore experience should be a hard lesson. Health directorgeneral Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah rang the alarm bell about foreign worker living conditions: “If you live in a confined place, definitely infectious diseases will continue to spread. Not only Covid19 but other diseases like TB.” (The
Star, May 27; online at bit.ly/star_ cramped.)
Hostel operation regulations must be reviewed. Firstly, 18 or 20 people should not be crammed into a 74sq m unit. There should be provision for independent auditing and harsh penalties for recalcitrant operators. For health inspection purposes, hostels should be classified as public places so that neither prior permission nor even notification is required to enter them.
At present, the onus is on hostel operators to see to all matters. But their principle concern is making the maximum money from them, not providing the best (or even good) facilities for workers. Some online portals claim dormitory operators in Singapore generated millions from the business – surely enough to ensure that living conditions were up to acceptable standards? But they were not.
If this “private property” loophole is not addressed, crowded and unsanitary conditions will continue, posing the serious risk of infectious diseases spreading among the workers and then, inevitably, to the local community. What then?
I hope the government and local authorities take heed of the Health DG’s professional advice and do something about overcrowded hostels.