Workers’ dorms should be considered private space

I am saddened that the proposed law to tackle public drinking designates workers’ dormitories as public spaces, where a drunk person who is unable to handle himself could be fined up to S$1,000, jailed for up to a month, or both.

Foreign workers in Singapore already do not have many private spaces here. Their dormitories are often located in far-flung areas to minimise contact with Singapore residents. And within the dorms, there is not much privacy.

The law would legally take away these personal spaces, which would make life harder and demean these workers who come here to earn a living.

As Humanitarian Organisation for Migrant Economics executive director Jolovan Wham stated in “Planned laws on foreign-worker dorms ‘infringe personal space’” (Jan 21), one can understand if the dorms have their own rules to handle possible drunken disorderly conduct.

Moreover, the Miscellaneous Offences Act covers public drunkenness. Do we need the proposed new law, which seems to stereotype and target these foreign workers? It implies that they need draconian measures to be kept in check, lest they become a nuisance to public order. Surely only a minority are guilty of this?

While we should try our best to prevent a repeat of the Little India riot, the proposed law is harsh and an overreaction. The Government should reconsider aspects of the Bill, so foreign workers living in dorms are not robbed of their dignity by having their private space reduced further.