Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said the centralised, controlled, and planned development of the workers dormitory marked the state government’s commitment to supporting the rapid rate of industrial development in Penang.

He said the development also helped the state government address several issues related to foreign workers, especially the social impact in residential areas when they rent apartments or premises in housing estates.

“Penang, as an industrial state where we see investments that plan for factories and require workers – some from foreign countries – needs accommodation like foreign workers dormitories, built to comply with Act 446, which is to comply with international standards,” he said.

Chow said this after the foreign workers’ dormitory construction groundbreaking ceremony at Plot 1017, Penang Science Park South here. The event was also attended by Penang Development Corporation (PDC) CEO Aziz Bakar and Urban Pinnacle Sdn Bhd executive chairman Stephen Wong.

The dormitory project consists of 836 apartment units to accommodate 8,360 foreign workers, and a commercial block equipped with facilities including a food court, grocery store, security control, and recreational area.

Chow, who is also PDC chairman, said the project was being carried out under a lease agreement, with the construction and management of the hostel by Urban Pinnacle Sdn Bhd on 2.942 hectares of land owned by PDC. Construction is expected to be completed within two years.

Meanwhile, Aziz said two more foreign workers dormitory projects would be built through lease agreements with private companies this year, each capable of accommodating up to 8,000 foreign nationals.

He said the projects would be in Batu Kawan and Batu Kawan Industrial Park 3, industrial areas far from residential settlements.

“These two projects can accommodate between 7,000 and 8,000 foreign workers, and their dormitories will cover an area almost the same as that of today’s project (groundbreaking).

“Both dormitories will be built by private companies on land owned by PDC,” he said.