Foreign workers to get four more recreation centres

They will be built by the end of next year as an alternative to Little India

By Toh Yong Chuan, The Straits Times, 5 May 2014

FOREIGN workers will be able to rest and relax at four more activity centres by the end of next year.

Recreation centres for foreign workers will be doubled from four to eight, in a bid to draw them away from Little India.

The expansion was announced by then Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin in Parliament in January, when he gave a statement on the Little India riot.

He said these centres will provide alternative options for foreign workers who need places to gather and relax, but acknowledged that they "can never totally replace popular spots like Little India".

Mr Tan did not disclose the numbers or locations then, but The Straits Times has learnt that four centres will be built in Tuas South, Kranji, Simpang and Jalan Terusan off Jurong Port Road.

The Jalan Terusan centre's building cost is estimated to be $15 million and the one in Tuas South, $18 million, said JTC Corporation. No estimates were given for the other two centres.

There are four such centres now in Jurong, Penjuru Road, Woodlands and Kaki Bukit.

The new centres will have a combined size of more than nine soccer fields, according to JTC plans seen by The Straits Times.

"These recreation centres will be venues for the workers to gather, rest and relax," said JTC in its plans. Their facilities include basketball and volleyball courts, soccer and cricket fields, fitness corners, foodcourts, supermarkets and even Internet cafes.

The centre in Kranji is next to a site earmarked for a new dormitory, while the Tuas South centre is opposite a new 9,200-bed dormitory for marine and manufacturing workers.

JTC, a statutory board that plans industrial land use, has started approaching interested architects and engineers to draw up the designs of the new centres.

The designs are expected to be firmed up by the year end. Construction will start early next year and be done by the end of next year.

Industry players such as Mr Kelvin Teo, president of the Dormitory Association of Singapore, back the move. The centres will be near existing dormitories, he noted.

"This will make it convenient and attractive for workers staying at the dorms to go there," he said.

The amenities at the centres are important too, said Singapore Contractors Association (SCAL) president Ho Nyok Yong.

The association runs a recreation centre on Soon Lee Road in Jurong, providing services such as money transfer, barbering and mobile phone repair. It draws about 6,000 workers on weekdays and as many as 10,000 during weekends.

"Whatever you can get at Little India, you can get it at the supermarket here too," he said.

Foreign workers advocacy group Migrant Workers Centre said the activities have to be attractive.

The group organises weekly activities such as movie screenings, sports competitions and concerts for foreign workers at the Penjuru Road recreation centre.

The centres can also narrow the gap between locals and foreign workers, said Dr Ho. He observed that residents and workers from nearby factories visit the centres for food and groceries.

"Such interactions can help build social harmony," he said, adding: "These workers help build Singapore so we have to look after them too."

Foreign workers win big in cricket
By Toh Ting Wei, The Straits Times, 5 May 2014

CHEERED on by a crowd of 12,000, Indian nationals S. Sasikumar and E. Pandirajan are living the dream of playing tournament cricket here in Singapore.

Working for construction firm Dragages, the two batsmen had a ball of a time at the Singapore Contractors Association (SCAL) Cricket Challenge.

And yesterday, Mr Sasikumar and Mr Pandirajan, along with their colleagues, emerged top among 32 teams at the competition held at SCAL Recreation Centre in Soon Lee Road.

The event started on Labour Day and resumed yesterday with a crowd providing loud cheers in the rain. Facing the workers of Eng Lee Engineering in the final match, captain Pandirajan led his teammates to a 36-22 victory, outscoring their opponent by 14 runs to clinch their first title in the championship.

Mr Sasikumar, 28, was awarded the Best Player accolade while victory was especially sweet for 27-year-old Mr Pandirajan, who combined batting duties and coaching the team.

Mr Sasikumar said: "Our company has supported and sponsored our jerseys and equipment. And our superiors have helped us a lot throughout.

"It is like a small family here when we play together, and workers from other companies also join us sometimes."

The event is into its fifth year, and SCAL president Ho Nyok Yong is hoping to grow it further.

"Over two days, 32 teams is the maximum we can accommodate, but we are thinking of adding one more day next year to allow for more teams to participate," Dr Ho said.