Housing minister backs residents against foreign-worker dormitory

 

Residents of Bertam in northern Seberang Perai, Penang, have held a protest against a large dormitory for foreign workers which they fear will leave a deep impact on the surrounding communities. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: A Cabinet minister has come out in support of local residents against the construction of a large dormitory town for foreign workers in the vicinity.

Kepala Batas MP Reezal Merican Naina Merican, who is minister of housing and local government, said the proposed centralised labour quarters were unsuitable for Bertam as residents feared the effect of an influx of foreign workers.

About 100 Bertam residents from over 10 housing estates near the project held a peaceful protest today against the project and proposed that the construction be shifted to the Ara Kuda area in Tasek Gelugur, which is not too far away, Bernama reported.

The project calls for the construction of three blocks of 10-storey workers’ quarters in Phase 1 and four 10-storey blocks in Phase 2 for a total of 977 resident units. A total of 144 industrial plots are also to be developed.

Reezal said most of the residents of Bertam were concerned about the prospect of an influx of foreign workers. “In my opinion, it is not suitable to build the CLQ in Bertam; an influx of foreign workers will leave a deep impact on the surrounding communities,” he said, Bernama reported.

He urged the developer and Seberang Perai City Council to “hold transparent engagement sessions with residents in the area”.

However, he said his objection to the quarters did not mean he rejected any form of industrial development in the area but that it must be based on high technology and involving highly-skilled workers, thus avoiding reliance on less-skilled workers.

Reezal welcomed the presence of high-technology industries in the area.

Near 7,800 families affected

Bandar Putra Bertam Community Alliance representative Fahmi Abdul Rejab said the labour quarters project is surrounded by housing estates, comprising nearly 7,800 families.

There would definitely be an impact on the residents, with social and health issues among them.

He said the residents are not against the development of a high technology-based industrial area at the 339-hectare site at Jalan Tun Hamdan Sheikh Tahir in Bertam, which is part of the Kepala Batas parliamentary constituency.

“We are also aware of the status of Bandar Bertam, which is a Tier 1 development area, where the area will be the beneficiary of rapid development in terms of education and industrial growth.

“But the residents here are against the construction of the CLQ,” he told reporters after holding the peaceful rally at Taman Mekar Sari, which is near the CLQ site.

The development project is in the process of obtaining planning permission from the Seberang Perai City Council. - FMT