H’ng says the state government cannot simply retract approvals that have completed the full OSC planning process.
THE fear of having thousands of foreign workers concentrated within residential neighbourhoods triggered another heated exchange in the Penang State Assembly.
This marked the second day in a row that accommodation for foreign workers in Teluk Kumbar dominated proceedings.
In Penang, many agencies rent large numbers of flats and houses and manage them as workers’ accommodations for multinational corporations.
These units are operated according to international good practices to ensure welfare and safety, but residents in several areas have occasionally raised concerns about clusters of foreign workers living among them.
The issue resurfaced when Mohamad Shukor Zakariah (PN–Pulau Betong) again questioned why the state government approved the Teluk Kumbar centralised labour quarters (CLQ) project despite objections from the local community.
It is learnt that construction of a CLQ that can house 7,000 people is on-going in the area.
State local government, town and country planning committee chairman Jason H’ng appeared increasingly frustrated as he reminded Shukor that the matter had already been answered.
“Pulau Betong, you brought this up last assembly sitting and I clarified it. You want me to repeat everything?” H’ng said.
He stressed that the state government could not simply retract approvals that had completed the full planning process via the One Stop Centre (OSC).
“The project went through the full OSC process. If there were objections, they should have been raised at the correct stage, not after approval is granted.
“The state cannot revoke an approval halfway,” he said.
Shukor insisted the community felt sidelined and unhappy.
“People do not want this in Teluk Kumbar. They feel the state is not listening to them,” he said.
H’ng countered that the state had reviewed every complaint received.
“We listen. Every memorandum and every letter has been reviewed, including those addressed to the Chief Minister.
“But once approval is given, only the developer can withdraw. The state cannot cancel it,” he said.
He then posed a question to underline why purpose-built worker housing was necessary.
“Would you prefer foreign workers staying beside your home without proper regulation?” he asked.
“CLQs exist to ensure controlled, safe and monitored accommodation.
“Without them, you will have workers scattered across neighbourhoods with no structured oversight.”
A written reply tabled earlier by H’ng stated that every CLQ application was vetted strictly by Penang Island City Council and Seberang Perai City Council, and approvals were issued only when developers complied fully with all requirements under the CLQ Planning Guidelines 2022.
He said the policy was designed to create planned, supervised living spaces, improve safety for both residents and workers, prevent unauthorised building conversions, and allow health authorities to conduct regular hygiene control and medical checks.
H’ng added that purpose-built centralised quarters also made law-enforcement easier and helped maintain orderly development patterns across the state.
