MOM's new migrant worker dorm a big step forward, but long road ahead

It's now on sector to follow MOM's lead, listen to workers, go beyond new standards

- Kok Yufeng

Lockers for personal belongings? Check. Single beds? Check. Private spaces for personal calls? Check.

As far as Mr Sumun Biswas, 44, is concerned, a new government-owned migrant worker dormitory that will open in early 2026 checks all the boxes.

Since August 2023, the Bangladeshi hydraulic operator has been involved in consultations with the authorities on how migrant worker housing here can be improved.

He was thus happy to see his views put into practice at the upcoming dorm in Tukang Innovation Lane in Jurong. It is the first of two purpose-built dorms to be constructed and owned by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

"We are happy, from our heart," he said, when asked for a review of the dorm's features.

The dorm will also have an en-suite toilet and free Wi-Fi in every room, in addition to spacious kitchens on every floor.

It is a dream come true for Mr Biswas and the dozens of migrant workers who took part in the design process. It is also a significant move by MOM to show the wider industry what is possible with some forethought and ingenuity.

But there are caveats.

First, while the improved design of the Tukang dorm is an important step towards raising the bar for migrant worker housing, the day that every worker in Singapore gets to live in such a conducive environment is still more than 15 years away.

In 2021, MOM imposed a new set of regulatory standards on newly built dorms to improve liveability and boost their ability to contain disease outbreaks.

But in the light of infrastructural constraints and concerns over higher costs, existing dorms have until 2040 to meet the full set of requirements.

This means many workers here will still have to put up with less than ideal conditions for the foreseeable future.

Second, some of the new features at MOM's Tukang dorm, such as the provision of single beds, are over and above what the new dorm standards stipulate.