In a bid to better regulate the construction industry, the government, via the Human Resource Ministry, is drafting new laws on housing and amenities for foreign workers, reported the New Straits Times.
Deputy Works Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin said the move will not only ensure the welfare of foreign workers but also raise the industry.
“It will improve productivity and do away with eyesores in the form of workers’ quarters, or rumah kongsi,” she said.
“We should not allow unscrupulous opportunists to manipulate foreign workers. We need laws that would compel developers to be more professional.”
Rosnah noted that a higher level of professionalism within the industry will encourage more locals to take up jobs in construction.
“Locals are not keen to work in construction because of the perception that their welfare would not be taken care of.”
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi last year made it compulsory for employers to provide foreign workers with at least a minimum standard of accommodation. Employers who fail to comply will be barred from hiring new foreign workers, warned Ahmad Zahid.
Currently, the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990 (Act 446) for estate workers is applicable to the construction sector.
With this, contractors are unaware of the negative impacts of unsupervised and unstructured accommodation for foreign workers such as spreading of diseases, pollution and social problems, said Labour Department director-general Datuk Mohd Jeffrey Joakim.
To address the issue, he revealed that the government is looking at amending Act 446 to expand enforcement to all sectors.
Currently, construction firms planning to build their own workers accommodation are required to comply with the Temporary Construction Site Workers’ Amenities and Accommodation — Code of Practice (MS2593:2015) released by the Standards Malaysia Department, which is under the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB).
The Labour Department inspects workplaces and accommodations from time to time as well as upon application to hire new foreign workers.
Otherwise, employers are urged to house foreign workers in a Centralised Labour Quarters (CLQ), said Jeffrey, adding that the department had recognised eight CLQs.
Image sourced from Malaysian Reserve
Radin Ghazali, Content Writer at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact her about this or other stories email radin@propertyguru.com.my
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