WE THANK Mr Tham Tuck Meng for supporting the Foreign Employee Dormitories Bill ("Tighten rules: Why stop at large dorms?"; last Friday).
As he has rightly pointed out, all dormitories, regardless of size, should be well regulated. For this reason, there already exists a comprehensive set of rules governing the living conditions of foreign workers.
The areas that are regulated include building and fire safety, minimum living space and hygiene standards. These requirements apply to all forms of foreign worker accommodation.
The various government agencies such as the Building and Construction Authority, the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the National Environment Agency are stepping up enforcement of these rules, and will review them with a view to raising them over time.
However, for larger dormitories, it is necessary to impose additional requirements. Given their larger size and higher density of workers living within close proximity to one another, they pose higher risks that need to be mitigated upstream during the design phase and in the operational phase.
This includes requirements that cover public health and safety, security and public order, and the provision and maintenance of social and commercial facilities and services.
It is for this reason that the Ministry of Manpower introduced the Foreign Employee Dormitories Bill as a progressive measure to mitigate the risks of larger dormitories.
As more large dormitories are developed over the next few years, this Bill ensures that, upstream, better requirements are woven into their design and development.
The effect of the new legislation is not to allow us to take a more relaxed attitude with respect to smaller dorms, but rather to put additional regulatory requirements on the bigger dorms that have a much greater impact on their surrounding neighbourhoods.
Alvin Lim
Divisional Director
Workplace Policy & Strategy Division
Ministry Of Manpower
As he has rightly pointed out, all dormitories, regardless of size, should be well regulated. For this reason, there already exists a comprehensive set of rules governing the living conditions of foreign workers.
The areas that are regulated include building and fire safety, minimum living space and hygiene standards. These requirements apply to all forms of foreign worker accommodation.
The various government agencies such as the Building and Construction Authority, the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the National Environment Agency are stepping up enforcement of these rules, and will review them with a view to raising them over time.
However, for larger dormitories, it is necessary to impose additional requirements. Given their larger size and higher density of workers living within close proximity to one another, they pose higher risks that need to be mitigated upstream during the design phase and in the operational phase.
This includes requirements that cover public health and safety, security and public order, and the provision and maintenance of social and commercial facilities and services.
It is for this reason that the Ministry of Manpower introduced the Foreign Employee Dormitories Bill as a progressive measure to mitigate the risks of larger dormitories.
As more large dormitories are developed over the next few years, this Bill ensures that, upstream, better requirements are woven into their design and development.
The effect of the new legislation is not to allow us to take a more relaxed attitude with respect to smaller dorms, but rather to put additional regulatory requirements on the bigger dorms that have a much greater impact on their surrounding neighbourhoods.
Alvin Lim
Divisional Director
Workplace Policy & Strategy Division
Ministry Of Manpower
