SINGAPORE: After the Ministry of Manpower released new designs for a government-owned dormitory for migrant workers at Tukang Innovation Lane on Sunday (Nov 17), local Reddit users expressed their approval.
The dormitory is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2026.
Over Facebook and Instagram, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng shared a short clip of a tour of the dorm, calling it “another step forward in our multi-year roadmap to uplift migrant workers’ living, healthcare and social environment.”
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The dorm looks impressive indeed, with spacious, well-lit and airy areas for sleeping, bathing, and cooking, a far cry from photos of small and unhygienic-looking living facilities that made the news in 2020 when COVID-19 infections broke out and spread among migrant workers.
Unlike other facilities, only 12 workers will share a room in this dorm. And instead of only 3.5 sq m of living space, each worker will have 4.2 sq m.
They will also have WIFI and bathroom facilities in each room.
MOM said it held consultations among workers, non-governmental organisations, industry associations and an advisory panel of industry experts in drawing up the blueprints for the designs.
According to a report in The New Paper, the dorm at Tukang Innovation Lane is one among seven that are being constructed in conformity with higher standards.
Another dorm owned by MOM is located at Sengkang West and is scheduled for completion in 2028.
By 2040, all dorms must meet these standards.
MOM also said that the new dorms were designed in view of future public health threats.
Netizens reacting to the new dorm design on Reddit welcomed the positive developments, applauding the various improvements and even the availability of WIFI, as this would allow workers to communicate with their families back home.
One Reddit user said it’s about time for the re-design and added that some of the facilities he had seen in the past “were borderline inhumane.”
“We’re building our country on the backs of these humans; the least the Govt could do is treat them like humans,” they added.
“This is awesome, props to the people who made this happen,” another wrote.
Others pointed out that having migrant workers live better is better for Singapore in the long run, and investing in upgraded living conditions will pay off eventually.
“What an improvement!” another wrote, adding that workers would have a better rest and sleep environment. /TISG