SINGAPORE: There has an overall improvement in foreign worker housing, which is reflected in a reduction in the number of offenders for housing-related contraventions, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Wednesday (Sep 5).
There were 1,451 contraventions in 2015, falling to 1,316 in 2016 and 1,176 in 2017, MOM said in a press release.
AdvertisementIn addition, regulatory standards have been raised over the past three years and MOM has been proactive in carrying out inspections. Over 4,6000 were conducted across all housing types during this period. MOM has also been working with other agencies to strengthen enforcement of standards and requirements.
During a visit to a dormitory in Tuas, Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad said that there is still some work to be done.
"In particular, we are monitoring private residential premises closely" said Mr Zaqy.
On the subject of identifying rule-breakers in private estates, Mr Zaqy elaborated that MOM has been exploring the use of data analytics.
AdvertisementAdvertisementPredictive modelling can be used to identify those who house migrant workers in poor living conditions, especially in residential shophouse units, a hotbed for housing-related offences.
"Together with the other government agencies, such as URA and the SCDF, we will act against parties who flout foreign worker housing requirements," Mr Zaqy said.
Additional reporting by Wendy Wong.
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