GEORGE TOWN: If only there were a foreign workers’ hostel on the north side of the island, then Long (not his real name) would not need to rent a RM1,900 a month condominium for his six foreign workers.
The nearly 1,000sq ft unit along Jalan Kelawai in the famed Gurney Drive triangle, less than 100m from major malls, has three bedrooms, a pool, a tennis court and a squash court. Units are on sale online for about RM700,000.
“The landlord gave six access cards. We follow the landlord’s and management’s rules because we need our workers within walking distance from work,” said Long, 38.
He used to rent a nearby flat for RM800 a month to accommodate his restaurant and kitchen staff, but there were objections from the management.
“We set rules. Visiting guests only till 10pm. No alcohol after 10pm, no loud music. Laundry is timed so they don’t hang clothes all over the balcony.
“We do spot checks regularly,” he said.
Long said he knew of proper workers’ hostels in Penang, but they were all located near industrial areas.
“I wish there was one in town, but as a Penangite, I know there’s no land here for that,” he said.
In 2023, a RM1.25mil condo in Pulau Tikus was found to be housing 14 workers of a nearby restaurant, drawing complaints from residents.
A housewife living in Pulau Tikus, Tammy Lee, 35, said six to eight former Gurkha soldiers working as guards moved into the unit below hers three years ago.
“They were quiet and neat, but there was a body odour problem,” she said yesterday.
She said the smell of stale bedding and sweat wafted up to her home.
Her husband later texted the manager of the security firm.
“We asked the manager to help them with hygiene care,” she said.
Lee said the guards were now taking better care of their hygiene.
She said she understood the need for foreign workers to live near their workplaces and hoped employers would help them integrate into residential areas.
Penang has approved several workers’ hostels, classed as centralised labour quarters (CLQ), near industrial zones.
State local government committee chairman Jason H’ng Mooi Lye said there were six CLQ located in Penang – three under Penang Island City Council and three under Seberang Perai City Council.
He said seven more CLQ were under construction in Seberang Perai, while another nine were in the planning approval process.
H’ng said the CLQ system allowed foreign workers in specific areas to be housed more organised, reducing scattered housing in residential areas.
He said employers must comply with the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990 (Act 446), including obtaining a Certificate of Accommodation from the Labour Department.
