Former Nexus International School in Ulu Pandan to house healthy foreign workers in essential services

SINGAPORE — The former Nexus International School campus on Ulu Pandan Road has been designated a temporary site to house healthy migrant workers whose jobs provide essential services, Member of Parliament (MP) Christopher de Souza announced on Monday (May 4). 

In a Facebook post, Mr de Souza, who is an MP for Holland-Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency (GRC), said that the site can house up to 1,000 people and will be refurbished over the next month. The workers are expected to move in from the middle of June. 

Nexus International School, which has more than 900 non-Singaporean students aged three to 18, moved to its new campus in Aljunied in January.

Mr de Souza, who oversees the Ulu Pandan ward in the GRC, said that workers would undergo medical screening before moving into the 470,000-sqf facility. 

The site will also be “self-contained”, he said, with meals and amenities provided on-site. Transport arrangements will be made to take workers to and from their workplaces.

Mr de Souza assured Ulu Pandan residents that the authorities would take steps to minimise disruption to those living close by. 

He said he visited the site as he wanted to find out whether the workers would be well taken care of and comfortable.

“Based on my site visit, I noticed that the hexagon-shaped classrooms are spacious and have large streams of daylight coming in,” he said. 

These “bright and roomy” classrooms will be among the spaces in the facility where workers would sleep. He added that the grounds are “green, airy and generous”, with a long driveway and sheltered open spaces such as atriums. 

In the meantime, Mr de Souza urged Ulu Pandan residents to support and welcome the workers.

“These essential service workers have spent long amounts of time away from their hometowns and families, and have put themselves on the frontlines — day in, day out — to ensure that our essential services are kept going even in these difficult times. 

“Just as they have cared for us and Singapore, let us care for them, too,” he said. 

Singapore is in the midst of an eight-week circuit breaker that began on April 7 to slow the spread of Covid-19, with non-essential workplaces closed and rules to limit the movement of people. It is expected to end on June 1. 

Mr de Souza said that he would be scheduling dialogues with residents of nearby condominiums and estates via Zoom, a videoconferencing tool, on Wednesday and Thursday. Residents may ask questions or exchange ideas and volunteer in initiatives to support the workers.

Residents of the Pine Grove, Astor Green and Pandan Valley condominiums may sign up for sessions on Wednesday. Those in the Pine Grove and Mount Sinai estates may register for a Thursday session. 

Ms Audrey Chua, 54, a resident at Pine Grove condominium, told TODAY that while she was wary of having a large group of migrant workers near her estate, she understood the need to provide them with proper housing.

The real estate company owner said many of her neighbours are elderly residents and she was concerned about their health. Even so, she said: “I will support this if Singapore is low on space and we need to use the place.”

Ms Sharon Goh, 41, who lives in the Pandan Valley condominium, said she supported the move. Her estate is next to the former school campus. 

“We need to do whatever we can to find a solution. I am confident that the Government will do whatever it takes to make sure that the (site) is secure,” said Ms Goh, the director of a communications agency.

Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said previously that more than 10,000 healthy foreign workers, including those in essential services, had been moved out of migrant worker dormitories to facilities including military camps, floating hotels, vacant public housing blocks and converted sports halls.  

Last week, TODAY reported that the 196-room Siloso Beach Resort on Sentosa island has been designated to accommodate healthy foreign workers who were living in dormitories. 

In early April, some healthy foreign workers in essential roles were also moved into vacant flats in several public housing blocks along Redhill Close that had been earmarked for redevelopment.

Migrant workers living in dormitories continue to form the majority of Covid-19 cases here, which stood at 18,778 as of Monday.