NTUC is set to run the Tuas South migrant worker recreation centre (pictured) and two others for three years from August. - Photo: ST
SINGAPORE: On his day off every week, Bangladeshi lorry driver Based Mohammad Abdul heads to the migrant worker recreation centre in Tuas South to shop for groceries.
The 31-year-old said he goes there because the market is well stocked, but wonders if the centre could offer more training classes, such as those teaching computer skills, while he is visiting.
His wish may soon become a reality, with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) set to take over the running of the Tuas South centre and two others in the west – Penjuru and Terusan – from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for three years starting in August.
The ministry’s hope is that by getting external parties with expertise, such as NTUC, to operate the recreation centres, a wider array of services and activities like training and skills upgrading can be offered to the hundreds of thousands of migrant workers here.
The recreation centres, which are dedicated spaces for migrant workers, already offer essential services such as remittance and retail shops, food and drink options, and free communal facilities like cricket fields.
In a statement on Friday (June 28), MOM said the move to appoint an external operator is part of continuing efforts to improve the diversity and quality of these offerings.
This is so the centres become more vibrant and attractive to workers.
Beyond appointing third parties to run the centres, MOM said there are plans to upgrade some of the older ones over time to ensure their facilities are up to date.
These renovations will start at Penjuru Recreation Centre in Jurong, where a new administrative block for training classes and events will be built.
The work will be done in phases starting in 2025 and is expected to take place over 18 to 24 months.
Meanwhile, MOM is looking to explore and test new design concepts for migrant worker recreation centres too.
Some early ideas include having bigger centres to enable larger-scale activities and locating some government services at the centres.
There are nine migrant worker recreation centres in Singapore now.
NTUC, through its affiliated non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Migrant Workers’ Centre, runs one recreation centre in Soon Lee Road in Boon Lay at present.
It was the first migrant worker recreation centre built in Singapore in 2009. It gets about 120,000 visitors a month on average.
Of the remaining eight centres, MOM now runs six of them, including the ones in Tuas South, Penjuru and Terusan.
Private operators run the remaining two.
At a media briefing on June 27, Tung Yui Fai, chief of MOM’s assurance, care and engagement group, which supports the well-being of migrant workers, said the ultimate goal is to increase the number of visitors to the centres beyond pre-Covid-19 levels.
“We want recreation centres to really be a venue of choice for the workers on their day of rest,” he added.
Tung said appointing NTUC as an operator is the first step and the MOM is prepared to look for like-minded partners to manage its other recreation centres, so long as they fulfil the necessary criteria.
These include experience – the operator must have a strong record of running migrant worker initiatives and a good understanding of their needs.
The operator must also have the ability to manage facilities such as eateries and retail shops, and have the resources to add value, for example, by adding new amenities and trialling innovative programmes.
Finally, Tung said appointed operators must be aligned with MOM’s goals and prioritise workers’ needs over commercial benefits.
MOM said NTUC ticked all the boxes, with its experience running the Soon Lee recreation centre, and its network of social enterprises and recreational offerings.
To support the operations at the Tuas South, Penjuru and Terusan recreation centres, MOM will disburse a grant to NTUC.
The ministry said this is needed to ensure the centres remain attractive to migrant workers, who have lower spending power.
MOM declined to disclose the size of the grant, but it said NTUC must meet annual visitor targets, and roll out the necessary governance controls, and financial and procurement procedures before it can receive the funds.
NTUC said it will manage the Tuas South, Penjuru and Terusan centres through its leisure and entertainment arm NTUC Club.
For example, at its Soon Lee recreation centre, the labour movement works with NGOs to run small-scale training programmes and wants to do more, said Michael Lim, director of NTUC’s migrant workers segment.
He said maintaining affordability for migrant workers is a key consideration, and it will work with tenants and partners at the recreation centres to ensure their offerings are reasonably priced.
Lim said NTUC has no immediate plan to change the tenant mix at the three centres it is taking over to avoid disrupting the businesses already operating there.
“Existing tenants will have the opportunity to continue their operations, and we will be engaging the migrant workers’ community to better understand their needs before evaluating any future changes,” he added.
Gowri Pandi Shanmuga Pandi, director of Gowri’s Global Marketing, welcomed the move to appoint NTUC to run the Tuas South centre.
Her family business has operated the canteen at the centre for the last eight years since its opening.
Gowri, 32, said she was optimistic that NTUC’s strengths in arranging large community events would strengthen the centre’s offerings and encourage even more migrant workers to visit.
“We were quite worried, but the moment we knew (the new operator) was NTUC Club, we were relieved.”
She also expressed hope that the terms of her tenancy, which have enabled affordable food prices for the workers, will remain unchanged despite the impending handover.
Meanwhile, for migrant worker, Forid, who goes by one name, the distance between his dormitory in Toh Guan and Penjuru Recreation Centre makes more frequent visits difficult.
The electrician, 29, said free shuttle bus services would be of great help to workers like him. - The Straits Times/ANN
