Govt drawing up special blueprint for construction of labour quarters

 

The government is drawing up a special blueprint for the construction of centralised labour quarters (CLQ) in meeting the requirements and standards of the Emergency Ordinance (Worker’s Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities) 2021 (Act 446) that was gazetted on Feb 17.

Human Resources Minister M Saravanan said among aspects to be improved in the upcoming blueprint is the use of fireproof walls as an additional security feature and making access to lockers mandatory especially for foreign workers.

He said the blueprint would be a source of reference for developer companies when building CLQs with the additional security features, in creating a comfortable living space for workers.

“I will get Labour Department (JTK) director-general Asri Ab Rahman to include the additional features in the CLQ construction blueprint.

“I want value in demand and supply. Many (developers) may want to build CLQs, it is a good and healthy move. But at the same time, we do not want to have too many. So with this blueprint, the CLQ construction will be according to the number of existing employees and the needs of each state,” he said.

He was speaking after launching the Klang and Shah Alam CLQ construction zone in Klang today.

The CLQ location for the Klang and Shah Alam zone will be in Meru, Klang on a 40.4-hectare site which will be able to accommodate up to 30,000 workers at any one time with priority given to the construction and manufacturing sectors.

The CLQ to be built by two private developer companies will be implemented in five phases using the Industrial Building System (IBS) technology and the first phase will be completed in six months' time.

In another development, Saravanan said the ministry would give leeway to the tourism sector in enforcing Act 446, as the sector had been impacted by the Covid-19 situation and the nationwide travel restrictions due to the movement control order.

However, he said employers need to report to the JTK in advance that they are not able to implement Act 446 as had been outlined and they must present an action plan to the department.

- Bernama