KUALA LUMPUR – The Housing and Local Government Ministry through PLANMalaysia has formulated draft guidelines for planning centralised labour quarters to ensure the development and operation of workers’ accommodation will be orderly, complete and sustainable.
According to a statement from the ministry today, the draft covers the proposed accommodation in new and brownfield areas – derelict and abandoned premises – as one of the long-term solutions for employee accommodation.
“These guidelines will be presented at a meeting of the National Council for Local Government scheduled for July 13 (Tuesday) for consideration and feedback from state governments,” it said.
According to the ministry, applications for accommodation and hostels for workers in housing areas are not allowed for residential units in the low-cost category, People’s Housing Projects and affordable housing category that includes apartments or public flats.
It said it has already prepared the Application Procedure for Provision of Short-Term Employee Accommodation approved by the council on March 2 to resolve current issues and problems related to the workers’ accommodation.
The statement said the ministry’s secretary-general’s special circular was distributed to all states on March 23 to be adopted and implemented by state governments and local authorities, especially in Peninsular Malaysia for a period of three years, or until 2023.
“The Selangor government through the state executive council on June 2 had agreed to fully adopt this procedure. This means that local councils need to enforce this procedure from the date it is adopted, instead of enforcing it on new applications next year,” read the statement.
According to the ministry, the Application Procedure for Provision of Short-Term Employee Accommodation lists six alternatives for short-term employee accommodation in existing premises, namely:
Accommodation for workers in residential areas, hostels for workers in residential areas, accommodation for workers in shophouse units, accommodation for workers or dormitories for workers in office shops or business lots, in industrial premises and dormitories for workers in construction sites.
Selangor Housing, Urban Wellbeing and Entrepreneur Development Committee chairman Rodziah Ismail was reported as asking the ministry to immediately implement guidelines to not allow employers to turn public apartments or flats into hostels for foreign workers. – Bernama, July 11, 2021
