Managing Foreign Worker Congregation in Residential Areas

Sir, work permit holders in Singapore as at December 2012 numbered 952,000. Out of these, close to 300,000 are construction workers.

Sir, I thank and appreciate these workers who left their homes, took on backbreaking work, constructing much desired homes and facilities for our citizens. I acknowledge that their needs in fair compensation, lodging, leisure should be respected and met.

Sir, for years, many of these foreign workers who live elsewhere in Singapore, have been frequenting areas such as Little India, Beach Road, Jurong and other areas. During the weekends, lorries ferry these workers to their favourite meeting places – Indian and Bangladeshi workers mainly to Little India and Thai workers to the Golden Mile and Beach Road areas. Many tend to congregate in the void decks of HDB flats in the nearby residential zones. The crowds get much bigger when it rains and there are no other shelters for them. Whilst the majority of them do not commit crime, the sheer large size of the congregation is a big concern for my residents. The workers eat and drink, socialise, block the passageways of residents. Some purchase liquor from nearby stores, get drunk and urinate in the public areas.

In the last three years, thanks to the constant advocacy of local Members of Parliament and agencies such as the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the Police, National Environment Agency (NEA), Town Councils and grassroots volunteers, the situation had been much better controlled. Uniformed Auxiliary Police Officers (APOs) have been deployed during peak hours to patrol very popular foreign worker congregation areas.

However, the situation has not been fully resolved. Residents continue to lament the quality of their living environment. As more foreign workers land in our country to support Singaporeans' demand for faster completion of housing and train network projects, a more rigorous system of managing this teething issue needs to be put in place.

The issue of alcohol licences at shops directly within HDB flats contributes to problems of social disamenities. Some grocery stores have openly stocked and sold not only beer but all forms of spirits. These are a couple of photos [indicating] of what is on the ground floor of one of the shops in one of my HDB flats. Shops such as these not only serve workers who naturally congregate in these areas, but they attract also even more to these blocks. With purchased alcohol in hand, the workers conveniently drink within the block area vicinity, causing even more problems.

Sir, I have studied closely the open-bottle policies of several countries where only liquor stores are allowed to operate away from residential zones, and where alcohol drinking in public areas is an offence. I plead with MHA to seriously consider implementing policies of this same nature in Singapore. And whilst this consideration is underway, I urge MHA to withdraw or stop issuing alcohol sales licences to shops in residential blocks. MHA's previous promise to use soft approaches such as education and counselling did not work. Effective behavioural management needs time and many of these workers are not here on a long-term basis.

I also urge the Government to form a high-level inter-agency task force to look to solving the issue of foreign worker congregation at residential areas once and for all. This should comprise the HDB, NEA, Police Force, MOM, the Town Councils and, of course, the MHA. Policies that can be implemented include: (1) ring-fence residential zones so that only residents and their visitors can enter; (2) convert the shops below public housing blocks which are selling this liquor or groceries to more wholesome community facilities that can benefit the residents; and (3) fund the building of sheltered facilities complete with lighting, toilets and grocery shopping at available land away from the residents for these foreign workers.

Singaporeans need these foreign workers to help construct facilities for us locals. Let us be clear about that. These workers, like you and I, need leisure and recreation during their rest days. But the residents of the places where the foreign workers congregate too deserve rest in a quality, peaceful, living environment.