BUKIT MERTAJAM — Fears of eroded public safety and quality of life are primary factors driving residents in Juru, Penang, to oppose a 32-storey centralised labour quarters (CLQ) planned near their Taman Cendana neighbourhood.
Migrant rights activists, however say these fears are misconceptions and have called on employers to ensure their foreign workers understand local culture.
The proposed development, comprising 1,440 units spread over 5.6 ha over three lots in Mukim 12, Juru, would be built by Hunza Land Corporation, which owns the land. The dormitory complex would have the capacity to accommodate approximately 20,000 workers.
Human resources consultant Danny Tan, 39, who has been living in Taman Cendana for 10 years, said residents here are up in arms against the project because there are five schools nearby, and he worries about social ills that could take place should the project materialise and bring an influx of foreign workers to the area.
The schools are SK Juru, SJKC True Light, SK Permai Indah, SMK Permai Indah and SJKT Ladang Juru.
Tan said the three plots of land for the CLQ are also surrounded by several residential areas and apartments.
“The project shouldn’t be built here. We support the CLQ project, but not in a place that is surrounded by residential areas,” he told Scoop.
Concerned about potential crime, cleanliness
Another Taman Cendana resident, Sarah Ang, also voiced concerns about a potential rise in criminal activities after the project is completed and the hostel occupied.
Ang, 39 told Scoop that she would consider moving elsewhere should the massive CLQ be built.
“I don’t think that such an environment would be safe enough to live in for me and my two girls,” said the sales manager.
After living in the area for 15 years, she said despite its close location to industrial areas and heavy traffic, the atmosphere was still peaceful.
Ang said she worried if it would be safe for her two school-going daughters to walk around the neighbourhood freely after the CLQ is occupied.
She admitted that crime could just as easily happen with locals involved but said the hostel project “would still increase the threat on us”.
Tan meanwhile, expressed doubts whether dormitory supervisors can keep workers in check.
“Let’s say we our wives and children are alone. I can’t imagine what will happen if these people break into homes and commit crimes. Who is going to be responsible for this? I think there are a lot of social impacts (that come with theproject),” he added.
Tan is of the view that foreigners in small numbers will not dare to commit crimes.
“But when they outnumber (locals), we can’t imagine what they might do,” he said.
Both Tan and Ang are also worried whether foreigners will keep the neighbourhood clean, with Tan pointing out certain “habits” such as chewing and spiting betel nuts in public.
They also expect traffic congestion to worsen, as well as noise pollution, from factory buses transporting workers to and fro between the dorms and their workplaces.
Put CLQ in industrial areas
Another resident, Jim Ng, said people living there do not oppose the need for a CLQ and the importance of providing decent housing to foreign workers.
However, Ng added that the project could be built at industrial parks, instead.
He and Tan suggested alternative locations such as the Penang Science Park or the Batu Kawan industrial area, where these workers can live near their workplaces.
A longtime Taman Cendana resident, who asked to be known as George, said Penang could emulate Johor by allocating a portion of land within its industrial parks for dormitories.
George, 50, said this has been a longtime practice in the Senai and Pasir Gudang industrial parks. Shuttle buses can then be used within the park to transport workers, preventing pollution in neighbourhoods.
“Then, we don’t have to worry about traffic congestion, transportation issues, and public protests. All these issues can be settled” he told Scoop.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, however, held a different view at a press conference yesterday, that workers should not be confined in an industrial environment around the clock.
While news of the CLQ’s development is public, the Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP), however, said it has yet to receive any proposal from Hunza Land Corporation for the project.
MBSP said the developer is still in the process of preparing the project’s Social Impact Assessment (SIA) report and gathering feedback from residents living around the proposed project site.
On Sunday, around 200 residents staged a peaceful protest against the Juru CLQ; the second public demonstration against such mega-worker hostel projects.
The first protest was on December 30 protest that drew by 1,000 residents in Teluk Kumbar, Bayan Lepas against the planned construction of two foreign workers’ dormitories in those areas.
Employers must educate foreign workers
The residents’ fears stem from “xenophobia and unfounded stereotypes” labour rights activist, Glorene Das, said to Scoop when asked to respond to views held by Taman Cendana residents.
These attitudes not only marginalise workers but also risk fuelling division and discrimination in communities, said Das, who is Tenaganita’s executive director.
Both she and Adrian Pereira of North-South Initiative (NSI), said employers have a role to play in this regard, by educating their workers about local culture.
“To address residents’ concerns, companies have a responsibility to ensure proper training and information sharing as part of their post-arrival orientation for workers.
“This should include familiarising workers with local customs, values, and expectations, while also educating residents about the positive contributions that workers make to society and the economy,” said Das.
Pereira said companies that hire foreign workers should conduct integration programmes, which is in line with standards set by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
“Responsible Business Alliance already has modules on how to conduct pre and post-arrival training and integration. They are done together with IOM,” he told Scoop.
Additionally, Das also said open dialogue between residents, companies, and industries is essential to address these concerns constructively.
Companies should engage with residents’ associations and other stakeholders to foster mutual understanding and collaboration before proceeding with such CLQ projects, she said. – November 20, 2024
