Story and pictures by Damien Chng
Last Saturday, 7th March 2009, Mohamed Ismail brought me and my two companions on a tour of his dormitory. Mohamed is a Bangladeshi worker with shipyard firm, Ocean Marine.
We were taken to a place passed a forest where we had to fend off mosquitoes under a slight drizzle. The dormitory, as it turned out, was 200-metres from the nearest road.
Situated in a clearing between two factories, fifteen cargo containers are stacked atop one another in pairs. One is used to support a water tank. The only protection from the sun and the rain were zinc sheets placed on the roof of the containers.
The compound is home to a mini migrant workers community – hidden from the buzz of civilization.
Other than those from Ocean Marine, workers from various construction firms live here as well.
Their kitchen, lavatories and shower area are made out of makeshift bricks, metal scaffolding and sheets of zinc. Shoes scatter across the ground, and laundry hangs from clotheslines along the sides of the rectangular vessel.
Inside
Four double-decked beds are cramped inside the space of half a container. It measured no more than 3 meters by 2 meters. A fluorescent tube lamp illuminated the room which was void of windows. Two men live inside. The compartment is ventilated by a decrepit air conditioner.
Another container on the second floor houses 9 double decked beds; two at each end, while the remaining five takes up the rest of the space. This leaves the workers with a narrow aisle along the middle that is barely wide enough for one man to walk through.
There are two entrances, one on each end. It is stuffy; with a ratio of one air conditioning unit to a maximum of 18 men.
Towards the back of the compound, six Chinese workers are crammed into half a container. Junk is scattered around the compound; in between containers, behind them, and above them.
Compound
There is a common showering area to a group of an estimated 30 to 40 men, and five toilets. Out of the five toilet cubicles, only three have cistern flushing systems. The toilets have no lights.
The shower area has one pipe running down from a water tank. The valves that run along the water tank serve as showerheads. The men bathe by scooping water from a concrete tank. Algae cover the walls of the toilets and shower area.
The kitchen; a dark, dirty, and elongated space that contains thirteen gas stoves and a similar number of rice cookers, was situated beside the shower area. Grime sticks to the zinc walls.
A fire hazard
The dormitory is a potential fire hazard. Flammable materials are strewn on the grounds. Several electrical sockets are overloaded. A makeshift ash container hangs from the side of a bunk, which suggests that the workers smoke in there.
There is only one escape route. The narrow aisle in between the beds would only slow their escape. Some containers only have one entrance and exit.
There is no firefighting equipment, except for one fire extinguisher. Neither were there any roads leading from the main road to the compound, which would hamper the fire rescue.
The incessant presence of mosquitoes makes me wonder about the potential for a dengue outbreak. A big pool of stagnant, polluted water – a potential breeding ground for mosquitoes – is at the back of an abandoned container. In the first 10 minutes of our visit, each of us already had multiple mosquito bites.
The kitchen itself is dirty, with the most frequent visitor being the flies.
The potential for the spread of illnesses is also significantly higher. Those who are ill would probably not be separated from the rest simply because there is no other space where they could be isolated. In an air-conditioned environment, viruses are eminently a danger to their health.
Each of these men pays S$100 every month to live here.
Profit
TOC understands that the landlord leases the land from the Jurong Town Corporation (JTC). He then rents out the containers to Ocean Marine at $140 per month, per container. Ocean Marine then charges the workers $100 per worker, per month.
According to the workers, Ocean Marine previously housed 20 men in each container, and the employer owned four of these containers.
At $100 per worker, Ocean Marine would have collected a monthly fee of S$2,000 from the 20 workers housed in each vessel. Deducting $140 for rental of each container, the landlord makes a profit of S$1,860 from each container – and an estimated S$7,440 every month from the workers who live in the four containers.
The workers from Ocean Marine have since been moved out due to other disputes. There are currently other workers sheltered here. They are employed by different shipyard and construction companies.
It is unclear how often inspections are carried out by the JTC.
The landlord claims to have been renting the land for the last four years.
——–
Read also: The men who lived in the containers by Deborah Choo.
For more pictures and a background to this story, visit TOC Facebook.
———
HELP keep the voice of TOC alive!
If you like this article, please consider a small donation to help theonlinecitizen.com stay alive. Please note that we can only accept donations from Singaporeans. Thank you for your assistance.Do you have a flair for writing? Volunteer with us. Email us your full name and contact details to theonlinecitizen@gmail.com
Let me reiterate again that fighting for these cheap labourers’ rights will BENEFIT singaporeans. If strict laws are enforced on fair wages and housing conditions:
-companies can hire less of them, our trains will be less crowded
-less construction projects disrupting our lives
-less unhappiness among them leading to crime and trouble
-they come and leave with good impressions of sg
-they will respect our values and way of life, and behave as such
Abolish NS, and house them in our newly-empty army camps.
This is outrageous. The employers, the lessor and the landlord should all be thrown into jail and prevented from ever employing any foreign workers ever again.
Damien
I am concern.
Is there a need to mention it was Mr Mohamed Ismail who bring you to the site?Did you let know him know that this will be reported in TOC?
This report will resulted in the Authority checking the site .
Other workers who pay S$100.00 may have to move to another location which they will be paying higher.
The $100 could be increase and they will put the blame on Mohamed.Not only his ricebowl,his life may be at risk,as the site is shared by other workers.
Since when sub-leasing is legal?
Where is the humanity?
TOC understands that the landlord leases the land from the Jurong Town Corporation (JTC). He then rents out the containers to Ocean Marine at $140 per month, per container. Ocean Marine then charges the workers $100 per worker, per month.
This is serious exploitation. Anyway to verify with a third party or merely what claims by those with vested interest and we are being strung along? The next question is what should be done if this is true. Take Ocean Marine to court? But under what charge?
This country prides itself with rules and regulations to make life healthier and better for it’s inhabitants. That’s fine. What’s not so fine is that we have a lot of rules, regulations and laws but a total lack of INSPECTION and ENFORCEMENT.
All those lazy buggers who are supposed to go out to the field to inspect, enforce and police are probably idling somewhere, not doing their jobs and getting a fat pay from taxpayers.
We are supposed to ban smoking from certain business establishments like restaurants, coffee shops and entertainment outlets but nowadays, no one gives a hoot. Why? because the deadwoods that are living like parasites on taxpayers money are skiving. If the enforcement and inspection is outsourced, it is probably a scam and money down the drain.
In the reported instance, someone either from the environment ministry or the JTC or the MOM should have beaten you to the gun and reported this instead of waiting for your visit.
This is supposedly a first world country but with a third world civil service. No better than what the banglas experienced in their home country. Maybe even worst.
I conducted a building defects survey on one of the shipyards’ workers’ dormitory located near Bukit Batok several years ago. It is a dormitory with blocks of units each consisting 2 rooms bathrooms, kitchen and huge living room, of which houses around 14 to 16 workers per unit. There were building maintenance personnel and full time security responsible for this particular dormitory. What shocked me when I first entered the units was not the building defects which had occurred, but rather the state of mess the units were in. Cockroaches feasted on the food left on the tables from previous night’s dinner (probably even dinners of few nights ago), kitchen ceilings covered by thick soot from heavy cooking, clothes both washed and unwashed hung all over the place, broken windows and doors, etc. It was observed that the units which housed Chinese national workers were less messier (and fewer signs of deterioration), and the Malaysian nationals actually kept their units relatively neat, tidy and of reasonable living condition. Back to this issue, while I do agree that the minimum standard of living conditions must be attained for foregin workers, dwellers themselves, knowing that they are in living in dormitories in bad conditions, should all the more take initiatives to make the best out of their existing living conditions. For the benefit of their own health (and lives), don’t the workers see the need to eliminate the “big pool of stagnant, polluted water” within their reach? Don’t they see the need to clean the dirty kitchen “with the most frequent visitor being the flies”?
I have no comments with regard to the profiteering acts of the landlord and employers. This act is not uncommon for housing providers in Singapore.
At least Ocean marine has found a shelter and provide their worker with their basic needs.There are so many other companies where they lock their workers up,and ill treat their workers.Where some other companies just neglect their workers making them sleep under void decks,and open field.So must Ocean marine and other similar companies facilitate their workers with condos and with swimming pools? Ocean marine is still a responsible company compared to some other irresponsible companies.
I think we are not in a position to pity these foreign workers.
Men in containers? Aren’t we all?
Aren’t Singaporeans living in a self-imposed container of intellectual and political immaturity? Aren’t we 200 years from gracious and civil public behavior? Aren’t we sheltered by the zinc sheets of complacency and dependency on our Nanny State. Aren’t we stung by the mosquitoes of high-cost living on a daily basis?
Aren’t we treating our country as a makeshift kitchen before moving to greener pastures. Aren’t our lives cramped with homework, tests, exams and overtime work? Aren’t our welfare enhanced by only a factor of 140 when our economic growth increased by 2000? And if Singapore is on fire, isn’t the Government our only extinguisher?
So, we and the foreigners are actually in the same boat!
im getting tired…..seen the movie “slumdog millionaires” ?….are they better off back home? I am not suggesting we should treat them badly…get your perspective right and dont get carried away….spend more times checking our own people who are living in equally terrible conditions!
The workers staying there got water supply, electrical, air-con, place to cook ,DVD,Television.Why disturb them, make everybody busy shift and shift again.Mohamed if you are happy staying there go rented condos or go back home better.
Since the govt obviously knows about such happenings, it can be safely presumed that such employers have its blessing to proceed.
Or, it could as well be a case of deploying all its manpower to block and hinder the opposition like CSJ and company that the police is too busy with its hands full making human rings around CSC for instand or rounding up Singaporeans for wearing artfully designed T shirts with motifs of certain animal.
If JTC had sold the land to Mapletree, this profiteering wouldn’t have happened.
Change your name to ‘A community of foreign workers’
that’s all you seem to be caring about.
Why don’t you pay a visit to those 1 room HDB flats that are rented out (at enormous) profit to the poor and the elderly.
If there are 14 containers each housing 20 men, that’s up to 280 men living there. 5 toilets for 280 men, and a wash area that can probably only fit 10 men at a time. The window aircon unit I can see in the container above would be barely enough to cool down an area a quarter of the size. And the containers would get very hot and stuffy with so many men sleeping in them.
To say that Singaporeans are living in just as bad conditions is ridiculous. To say that other workers are homeless and therefore these men should be happy in containers is equally ridiculous. What, just because some people have no food to eat it’s OK that other people are living on one slice of bread a day? To say that the workers should make the best of what they have is ridiculous. If we follow this argument the employer could put them in the worst possible conditions imaginable and you would still blame the workers. To say that “living in containers” is a just a metaphor for what we all do… well, try living in a real-life container with 20 other men and see how metaphorical it feels.
Now if the employer was really charging the workers 100 dollars a month, then we’re actually looking at 2000 dollars per container. Each container is about 300 square feet. That makes these containers more expensive to rent, per square foot, than a lot of condos. But maybe this the point, these unscrupulous men can make more doing this than renting condos.
Finally, if the employers are charging the workers 100 dollars each per month, that’s more than the employer is paying the landlord. And that’s illegal under the Employment Act. It’s also illegal for employers to house workers in accommodation that doesn’t meet certain structural, fire, safety, environmental health and sanitary/sewerage system requirements. It may be that the employer has broken the law on both counts. The Employment Act covers Singaporean workers the same as it covers foreign workers. If these employers feel like they can break the law when it comes to foreign workers, what’s to stop them from breaking the law when it comes to Singaporeans? We have to stop these people, or they’ll take advantage of anyone and everyone.
How very gracious we Singaporeans are. Some people here seem to think that just because a worker is from a poor country, he should be thankful to live in a mosquito-infested fire hazard with poor sanitation, lousy kitchen facilities and almost no ventilation, OH AND HE SHOULDN’T COMPLAIN WHEN HIS BOSSES OVERCHARGE HIM FOR THE ACCOMMODATION. Oh no. He should shut up, suck it up and be grateful.
Because you know, we’ve given him a job that no other Singaporean wants. And you know, life back home must be so dire, so horrible and so so unbearable that his employer must really be doing him a FAVOUR. Oh yes! His employer is actually being kind – putting him in a hovel that is slightly better than some other hovels. Or worse still, he might not even have a hovel to live in at all. He could be out on the streets. Come to think about it – his employer is actually a saint. And the worker, just an ungrateful brat. Oh, and he also shouldn’t complain because there are some Singaporeans living in 1-room HDB flats.
How very logical. How very civilized. How very world-class.
Exploitation is exploitation no matter the degree. Telling someone who has been exploited to be thankful because he could have been treated worse, is pure utter bullshit.
How very gracious we Singaporeans are. Some people here seem to think that just because a worker is from a poor country, he should be thankful to live in a mosquito-infested fire hazard with poor sanitation, lousy kitchen facilities and almost no ventilation, OH AND HE SHOULDN’T COMPLAIN WHEN HIS BOSSES OVERCHARGE HIM FOR THE ACCOMMODATION. Oh no. He should shut up, suck it up and be grateful.
Because you know, we’ve given him a job that no other Singaporean wants. And you know, life back home must be so dire, so horrible and so so unbearable that his employer must really be doing him a FAVOUR. Oh yes! His employer is actually being kind – putting him in a hovel that is slightly better than some other hovels. Or worse still, he might not even have a hovel at all. He could be out on the streets. Come to think about it – his employer is actually a saint. And the worker, just an ungrateful brat. Oh, and he also shouldn’t complain because there are some Singaporeans living in 1-room HDB flats.
How very logical. How very civilized. How very world-class.
Exploitation is exploitation no matter the degree. Telling someone who has been exploited to be thankful because he could have been treated worse, is pure utter nonsense.
what is the fuss????….
Containers as living quarters have been in existence in Singapore for past the 20 years….the author who wrote this piece is making a fool of herself…..ask anyone (foreginers, s’poreans, etc) who are in the construction, offshore, marine trades
…living in containers is just part and parcel of the job..
this happens at every construction site so i dont seem surprised at all.
but of course that’s another point; employers’ apathy
I think this is a sad case of exploitation and our govt is keeping mum about it.
It is fascinating how employers and agents can escape so many first class documentation and bucreaucacy and took in millions in revenue.
It is like the Ponzac scheme but only now they are exploiting the foreigners.
Hopefully after the IRs, we will take action against such errant employers.
It is a big money business and the foreign workers all are seriously undermined in labour rights.
I feel sad that this happened in modern developed civilised world.
If this is Indonesia or even Vietnam is ok but right here on our doorstep!??
har can make so much money from land lease from jtc.
for us normal people to make money from selling things like chicken rice or drive taxi also so difficult,
not say where to find the way to rent land from jtc.
how did this people know so many money making ways?
but if make the money and people die because of this also not worth it.
still sell chicken rice or drive taxi better.
maybe when die can still see jbj.
in heaven.
ah lian (#14),
Mapletree is 100% owned by Temasek Holdings
TO AP:
that we have been wrong the last few decades doesnt mean it’s right!! what kind of thinking is that!?!
#23 DMK
Take a day off, going around Singapore and you see thousands of containerised offices, quarters, stores, toilets at the worksites. Many of them are in better condiitons than the workers’dominatories you find in Jurong and Kranji.
I work at the site and have spent nights in containers on countless occasions.
“If this is Indonesia or even Vietnam is ok but right here on our doorstep!??”
Talk nonsense! It is NEVER OK anywhere in the world!
#25 AP
You’re missing the point.
Did you have to sleep in a container with 19 other men? Did your aircon work? Did you have to deal with mosquitoes and the threat of dengue? Did you have to share five toilets and one water tank with 279 other men? How many nights did you spend in a container? 1, 2? 10? A month? These guys had to live in these conditions for close to a year. And did you have to give up a large chunk of your salary for the privilege of sleeping there?
its the owners that have the benefits. 7000 $ bloody profit a month and can the gall to treat these ppl like that. Inhuman!!! think 8 workers can pool together and rent a decent hdb flat liao la.
-www.currypaper.tk
I just want to know what is JTC’s take on this. Do they know that their land is being leased for such purposes? If so, is this legal? Whats’s MOM stand?
I disagree that it was wrong of TOC to report this. It is right to highlight such inhumane conditions subjected to the foreign workers whatever the arguments are.NEA should also come intothe picture to ensure if that the place does not become a breeding ground for diseases.
At least these people have a roof over their heads and proper beds. How about doing a piece on the many homeless SINGAPOREANS who sleeps on the void decks of HDB blocks or in cardboard boxes along the five-foot ways in old shophouse?
sad la.. we call raise prices of everything in the name of “its cheaper compare to the west” , then we talk about humanity, human rights law , blah blah.. then do this.. interesting hor..
-www.currypaper.tk
So the questions are as the debate is picking up:
What is wrong with profiteering?
But this begs the question, the TOC writer did not and probably cannot verify whether the claims of $140 rental of containers is true. There was no hedging with words like “alleged” or “claimed” but the information was presented as fact. Was there fact-checking by the TOC writer? This whole story is based on that premise.
Why are we focusing on foreign workers who chose to come here rather than fellow Singaporeans who are also struggling. We should focus whatever effort instead to help our own now. Sorry, between a foreign worker and a local poor, I would like to help both but I would help the local first.
#29
While I agree people shouldn’t be sleeping in void decks, whether they are singaporean or not isn’t the point. The point is that this is shameless exploitation going on in our society.
It’s a silly argument to say that since there are other bad things going on, we should ignore this or that bad thing. By this logic, all injustices will cancel each other out, and we should never speak up about any of them.
Sorry, that was in reference to #28 not #29. Apologies currypaper.
James – did I say anything about ignore them? Read my post again. All I am requesting is – do a piece to highlight the plight of our own homeless AS WELL. Which is more pressing, our HOMELESS, or those who have solid metal structures as homes? Charity should begin at home. We can’t even take care of our own dispossessed, and we are achy-heart and goody-two-shoe over foreigners? Where is our priority?
Why did the ruling elites who aspired to build a gracious society of world standard allow such disgraceful exploitation of migrant workers to go unnoticed?? Is this entreprenuership at its best?
the thing is .. what can be done? We can highlight the issues, complaint to so and so, post here, slam there, expose the company. What can really be done to improve the situation? There’re many homeless people, yes ,poor living conditions. sometime people beggin on the street. Is that real solutions and action can be taken?
T – I agree we should deal with the issue of homelessness too. I believe the Online Citizen is a community of volunteer writers. If you feel this strongly about the issue, why not offer to write an article for them about the homeless?
T – I agree that the plight of the homeless shouldn’t be ignored. I believe that The Online Citizen is a community of volunteer writers. If you feel so strongly about the issue, and feel that is is being ignored, why not offer to write a piece on homelessness for them?
1) angry_one, I agree 100% with your views. I’m really heartened to learn there is another person with the same ideals about a comfortable Singapore as I do.
You quoted “-companies can hire less of them, our trains will be less crowded”
That would be great. However, some companies are “hiring” them without giving them jobs just to con them of their $8k or $9k. Strict laws will also have to be enforced on justifiable foreign hires, while paying them fairly.
Indeed, if the law requires everyone to be paid fair wages, there would be no way to hire “cheaper” foreigners, thus protecting locals’ jobs. This way, Singapore would not be so uncomfortably & disgustingly overcrowded.
“-they will respect our values and way of life, and behave as such”
It would be difficult for them to fit into modern society seamlessly as they have spent much of their lives in a 3rd world setting. There were complaints of Bangladeshi workers hanging out at night, drinking & having picnics near Pioneer MRT station. A self-sufficient community has been set up at next to their dormitory in view of this. That didn’t work.
Abolish NS, that’s the way to go. Conscription is not unlike forced slavery.
To those who feel that we’re not speaking up for the homeless in Singapore, please do a search by typing in keywords “hoomeless” or “poor” in the search window of this website. You’ll see that we’ve always covered the less fortunate.
To those who feel that reporting these stories is useless and will not bring about change, I’d like to say that MOM has sent its officers out to look for the compound where the containers are, after we published this report. Also, we understand the mainstream media is also onto it.
To those who feel that living in containers under such conditions is ok, well… there is nothing I can say.
Regards,
Andrew Loh
very insightful article.. let’s hope things get better.. for the homeless in SG and the foreign workers and those not mentioned ones too
Repeating my comment on the other TOC article http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/03/the-men-who-lived-in-the-containers/
below.
MOM’s lack of inspection and enforcement of the Labour laws makes it cheaper for companies to use unethical means to exploit cheap foreign labour. E.g. Depressing their costs by fleecing them of their rightful wages.
If MOM is forced by TOC’s articles to increase its enforcement of foreign workers rights, the companies would not be able to profiteer from “non-business” related activities such as overcharging foreign labour on their accommodations. This forces the cost of foreign labour up.
On the surface, foreigner workers are touted by PAP politicians as hungrier and therefore more employable than locals. In reality, the foreign workers are simply being ripped-off by unethical companies, and this seems to be common practice. Thus, if cost of foreign labour is forced upwards, PAP will no longer be able to conveniently blame Singaporeans for being “too expensive to hire” and forced to acknowledge the real reasons behind the high cost of doing business in Singapore. This is usually related to the high tenancy and utilities costs, and myriad of licensing fees which are all controlled directly/indirectly by the PAP dominated government.
Hope the above provides a bigger picture of why helping foreign workers (increasing their costs, so that they are no-longer easy bait for unethical companies) is actually helping Singaporeans become more employable.
Note: I do not personally know the TOC folks or the foreign workers featured. I am making the above comment because, I am a fellow Singapore citizen (born and bred here) making ends meet. Looking at the current reality of the poor elderly, I too worry about my future. IMHO, pushing for more transparency & accountability from the politicians and civil servants seem to be the best way to ensure humane living standards for all true-blue Singapore citizens. IMHO, TOC is doing a great job in this aspect.
#36
“Why did the ruling elites who aspired to build a gracious society of world standard allow such disgraceful exploitation of migrant workers to go unnoticed?? Is this entreprenuership at its best?”
Good questions, Very Damn Disillusioned.
It can be a case of genuine ignorance; it can also be a case of pretence or hypocrisy. Which is the most plausible? Hypocrisy of course!
Btw, another area of potential exploitation worth looking into is the employment of foreign healthcare workers by nursing homes. Some are housed by their employers with accommodation charges directly deducted from their salary.
Hey Chock Tong, where art thou??? You were so BIG on graciousness and EQ!! Or, was it just a load of rubbish you spouted to make yourself look clever and compassionate. All talk, no action. Do as I say, don’t do as I do!!! Zero credibility lah!!!
Simply outrageous ! Ocean Marine should be prosecuted for such hideous act of ill treatment and have the directors thrown into jail.
To ensure a fair treatment of all foreign workers, why can’t MOM enforce these :
a. Have the employers prove address of quarters housing the workers prior to release of the work permits.
b. MOM will conduct periodic visits to these quaters to ensure basic living stds are maintained. Costs of such visits be will borne by the employers, with gradings issued.
c. For employers who consistently flunk basic stds with bad grading, MOM will rescind the work permits and stripped their future rights to application.
How can such an unbelievable situation slipped thru the hands of MOM ?
Are the people of MOM sleeping or busy drinking kopi at havelock road to let this sort of unhumane treatment go unnoticed ??
#10
very well said! complete agreement.
41)theonlinecitizen
Mr Andrew
I am grateful that TOC allows me to comment and is in no position to say whether these reports are useless or not.
I am only concern of the consequences of those FWs who are still staying there after the report .
Will the report benefit them?No .they will end up being poorer.
This report may resulted in them staying at a more comfortable room but it will also cost them paying more.
The authority ,if they stop these activities will then resulted in the FWs paying may be S$200 instead of S$100.Every S$100 save is S$100 earn to these them.Did the reporters interview the rest of the FWs who are staying there?Did they complain?These are not reported.The majority may be happy staying there becos of the saving,and what they need is only a 6 hour sleep in a sheltered place.
M Ismail had a dispute with his company and naturally he will speak bad on everything including his lodging.Why he didn’t complain in the past 1 year when he was still staying there and only now.It appear that he did that only after he got a dispute and maybe have an attitude of “want to die die together”I am not questioning on your reporter’s intelligence but merely hoping that they are not being made use of.
I had seen local lonely old man staying in a not more than 4 feet by 4 feet rented cubicle though that was years ago.I had seen other construction workers’ lodging in various sites..
If this article is about the worker’s dispute with their employer’s exploitation,I reserve my comments.
But if its is about sleeping in containers ,It is actually not as bad as what I had seen.