Residents in two areas in Seberang Perai Penang have expressed concern over the state’s plan to allow the construction of workers' quarters near their housing schemes.

To address their concern, state executive councillor for housing, Jagdeep Singh Deo, organised a briefing to address all the issues that were raised regarding the project today.

Jagdeep said in Juru, residents admitted their current housing schemes surrounding the site were flooded with foreign workers.

There are currently 1,854,684 foreigners on temporary work permits in Malaysia as of Sept 30, 2016.

This figure represents the number of people who were issued with the Temporary Employment Pass (PLKS) by the Immigration Department.

Indonesians (749,266) top the list of PLKS workers, followed by Nepalis (411,364) and Bangladeshis (237,991).

Workers' housing will provide many facilities

The residents agreed with the concept of workers housing scheme but did not want the dormitory built on the site, Jagdeep said.

However, the state government’s objective in building such dormitory was to address the exact issue, he added.

“The foreign workers now residing in housing schemes at the site were meant to be relocated to the said dormitory," he said, adding that residents were, however, worried that the foreigners would not just be in the dorm but roam around the surrounding housing area.

“The dormitory guidelines impose numerous conditions requiring the operator to provide facilities for the workers so that they need not exit the dormitory,” Jagdeep explained.

“Such facilities included a multipurpose hall, rest areas, TV and reading rooms, laundry and convenient stores, ATM machines, postal boxes and sick bays.

“These dormitories are self-sufficient and reduce the need for workers to exit such areas to access these facilities."

Possible traffic woes

According to Jagdeep, the operator has been asked to prepare a Traffic Impact Assessment to address traffic woes and also told to attend to complaints by residents about the area being flood prone.

As for Bukit Minyak, residents are concerned about traffic conditions as they envision about 6,000 workers residing in the area, and thus, between 200 and 300 buses plying the surrounding routes.

Jagdeep extinguished such worries, saying that a study by the operator had shown that only about 33 buses would be used twice a day, in the morning and at night, according to workers shifts.

He said a briefing on the matter was held yesterday with Centurion Weslite of Singapore, which operates the dormitories.

Details and inputs received during the briefing will be announced at the next state planning committee meeting, Jagdeep said.