Sarawak mega project developers should adopt centralised labour quarters concept

KUCHING: Developers of mega projects in Sarawak are advised to implement an integrated concept of construction management by developing centralised labour quarters (CLQ) that accommodate management staff and workers.

Sarawak Transport Minister Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin said such quarters will increase the productivity of the workers and act as the way forward for the construction industry across the state while ensuring the well-being of labourers in the future.

“Hopefully this system will enable us to finish our project according to schedule...the facilities in this CLQ will help us improve productivity as the labourers are staying in a conducive environment. So, it is worth investing in this concept,” he told a press conference after visiting the CLQ project site for the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) Red Line package here today.

Lee said this integrated concept would ease the management to enforce discipline and manage foreign workers.

Equipped with facilities such as living areas, dining areas, basketball court and office buildings, the systematic quarters consist of 36 rooms for management staff and 53 rooms for workers, accommodating up to 240 people.

Lee said CLQ is part of the KUTS project, in compliance with the social impact analysis study, which is part of the overall Environmental, Social & Heritage Impact Analysis (ESHIA) studies.

Meanwhile, on the KUTS Phase 1 project which consists of the Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit’s (ART) system Blue Line, the Red Line, and the Green Line, the minister said the overall progress is at 22.37 per cent, with the Blue Line package stands at 14.6 per cent.

The Blue Line, covering a distance of 27.6km, is from Rembus in Kota Samarahan to Hikmah Exchange in the city centre, while the Green Line (30km) is from Pending to Damai.

Earlier, Lee also visited the proposed SR10 Simpang Tiga Interchange Station site that is part of the Red Line of the project.