Foreign worker dormitories entice residents to stay in

SINGAPORE — Following the announcement of the alcohol ban in Little India this weekend, some dormitories for foreign workers are planning extra activities to encourage their residents to stay in on their day off.

Outdoor movie screenings are usually shown at the Westlite dormitory in Mandai Estate twice a week. The dormitory plans to have such an activity for its residents as an alternative to them going to Little India.

“Based on the incidents of last weekend, we believe that as a dormitory operator we should actually encourage them to avoid going there. So we should create more activities on the weekend to attract them to stay back on the weekend,” said Westlite Dormitory chief operating officer Kelvin Teo

The dormitory plans to host basketball or volleyball competitions this weekend — something they usually do quarterly but not on Sundays.

Operators say that on average about 70 per cent of their residents leave the premises on their day off, either to run errands or for leisure, though they expect that more will stay in this weekend.

Mr Teo, who is also the President of the Dormitory Association of Singapore, manages three dormitories. He said the police have told him that so far, none of his residents were involved in the riot.

The dormitory is also working with the Migrant Workers Centre to hold an event at its premises this weekend which could involve performances and games.

The Dormitory Association of Singapore has also sent an advisory to its members to be extra vigilant following Sunday’s riot in Little India. Members of the association make up about 80 per cent of local dormitories in Singapore.

“We have stepped up security. We have asked our senior staff and our emergency response team — those who are involved — to be on the alert. We have also asked the workers to go about their business as per normal,” said Dormitory Association of Singapore Secretary General Simon Lee.

After a meeting with the Ministry of Manpower, the Singapore Contractors Association has also sent out a circular to its members to urge them to talk to their workers about the riot.

Straits Construction, a construction company, says it briefed its workers on the legal consequences of the riot.

“We show them the newspaper report and things like that, and advise them that this is not accepted in Singapore and if they are caught doing that, then they’ll be subjected to our local law,” said executive director Kenneth Loo.

Straits Construction also educates new workers on Singapore laws as well as the health effects of alcoholism.

The Manpower Ministry says it undertakes outreach efforts to educate foreign workers on their responsibilities and social norms. It has not received any news that work sites were disrupted due to the riot.

As for the labour movement, it says it has reached out to workers immediately after the incident to reinforce the view that the actions of a small group do not reflect the views of the majority of foreign workers.

“We continue to uphold this belief that the vast majority of our foreign workers in Singapore, they’re here to earn a living, and along the way they also make a contribution to our society, to our economy,” said NTUC Secretary-General Lim Swee Say.

“In fact, the local workers and foreign workers all these years have always been working in harmony, living peacefully together, (and) I think that must continue.”

To celebrate International Migrants Day on Sunday, Transient Workers Count 2 will be holding a carnival while the Migrant Workers Centre is holding an event at SCAL Recreation Centre to mark the occasion. CHANNEL NEWSASIA