Penang confident there is demand for foreign workers housing

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government is confident multi-national corporations (MNCs) and factories will relocate their foreign workers to housing specifically built for them once such facilities are in place.
State Housing and Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh said there was demand for such housing from these companies.
He said he tried to take action against those renting out low-cost homes and low-medium cost homes to foreign workers but these companies told him there was no place for them to relocate their workers.
He said he has been engaged in talks with stakeholders and that there was demand for such housing.
"They are not in the business of providing housing, they are interested in their industry," he said in a media briefing on foreign workers' housing today.
Also present was Westlite Dormitories Sdn Bhd assistant general manager Johnny Chan and group project development manager Magendran Ramaiah.
The state has earmarked two such housing projects, one at a 1.78ha site in Bukit Minyak and at a 2.67ha site in Juru.
Each of these accommodations are self-contained facilities where various amenities will be provided for residents including Internet rooms, games room, canteen, laundry, supermarket, clinic, sports facilities, bus station and others.
Chan said the housing was secured by a biometric card access system where access cards and facial recognition technology was used to prevent unauthorised entry.
He said all residents will be issued cards where their names, addresses, work permit numbers and other details are recorded.
"If the authorities like the Immigration Department or police need information, the information can be accessed," he added.
Magendran also allayed fears of residents nearby that their neighbourhoods will be inundated with factory buses ferrying workers to their workplaces.
He said only 26 buses would be needed to ferry workers for the day shift and 11 buses for the night shift at the Bukit Minyak facility and 23 buses for the day shift and 10 buses for the night shift will be needed for the housing in Juru.