The association’s president, Supramaniam Shanmugam, said overseeing the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990 (Act 446) was a tedious and cumbersome process.

“Our members are working hard to deal with challenges such as building new housing, new hostels, ensuring neighbours do not complain, getting approvals from local authorities and so forth,” he said in a media briefing today.

Supramaniam gave an assurance the manufacturers were willing to spend money to comply with the law and noted that the human resources ministry was monitoring the factories on this matter.

Last year, human resources minister M Saravanan reminded employers that the government will not hesitate to take action against any company which failed to comply with the amendments under Act 446.

The amendments came into force on June 1 last year, mandating a minimum space requirement for workers’ accommodation, basic facilities as well as safety and hygiene standards.

Under the amendments, the director-general of the Labour Department was also authorised to issue instructions to property owners to replace, alter or repair accommodations that do not comply with Act 446.

The director-general now also has the power to immediately transfer employees from “overcrowded and uninhabitable” premises to temporary accommodation set up by the department.