GEORGE TOWN, Dec 5 — The Penang government has requested a one-year moratorium on fines against employers for having foreign workers staying in housing schemes.

State Housing, Local Government and Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo today said that the request was a temporary measure to provide shelter due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

He said that the state government had already planned to have workers’ dormitories for foreign workers even before the Covid-19 pandemic.

"So far we have six workers’ dormitories approved and two of which have already been built, namely in Batu Maung and Bukit Minyak.

"Unfortunately, the timing in which the Covid-19 pandemic hit Malaysia has forced us to think out of the box and re-strategise,” he told a press conference here.

He said that foreign workers residing in housing schemes had been an ongoing issue in the state before the pandemic and employers were fined RM50,000 per worker in the said housing scheme.

He also noted one instance where state authorities have found around 30 foreign workers staying in one housing unit.

"But it is a Catch-22 situation where employers were fined and asked to shelter the foreign workers elsewhere but ended up putting them up in another housing scheme,” he said.

Meanwhile, Jagdeep said that even with all six workers’ dormitories built, it would still not be enough to properly house all registered foreign workers in Penang.

He said that the state would need at least 20 workers’ dormitories to be able to bunk in some 135,490 registered foreign workers.

"Hence, Penang would want to ask for a moratorium for at least one year or so until we can find a solution for all industries to find a proper place to shelter the foreign workers,” he added. — Bernama