Denise Phua

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Foreign Worker Management

Perhaps Mr Pritam would like to know that I did a house-to-house visit, and the residents of a block that is located just above a row of shops that sell alcohol of various kinds, with alcohol decked from floor to ceiling and wall to wall, and more than 80% of the residents say, "Please do not stop the ban". That is a data point for the Deputy Prime Minister.

I also want to thank the Home Team, especially for doing their best under the circumstances during the riot, and also, more importantly, on a daily basis, the Home Team members who have been helping to manage the disamenities issues that arise from the congregation of foreign workers. The Home Teams from Rochor Neighbourhood Police Post and Marina Bay as well. So I want to register that record of thanks.

The second point is I would like to highlight to the Deputy Prime Minister the concerns of this special stakeholder group. We have lobby groups for the businesses and lobby groups for the foreign workers. But none for the special group, that is, the residents, especially those who are living in city areas which are very appealing to the foreign workers, and where there is high foreign worker congregation. Many of these residents are families with young children, elderly, daughters and wives and they are concerned with too many foreign workers congregating in their living spaces, below their flats. I would like to seek the assurance of the Deputy Prime Minister for a whole-of-government integrated approach to develop a series of differentiated and additional measures so that these residents will have more peace of mind; and so that they have more privacy where they live; and also, to return the use of the communal spaces that are meant for them. Places like the playground, the pavilions, the elderly equipment areas and even the shops at the void decks. Can we return the use of those spaces to the residents?

I would like to ask for differentiated measures that are stricter for those zones that are closer to where residents live, especially in the public housing estates. For your consideration, please.