Sembcorp Marine reminds food caterer about hygiene & quality of food served to Jurong dormitory workers

Workers were reportedly up in hands about their treatment at the dorm.

Belmont Lay | October 16, 2021, 03:58 AM

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Sembcorp Marine said it has issued reminders to the food caterer serving the migrant workers it employs following complaints that the food served at a dormitory were unsanitary and of bad quality.

The company said on Oct. 14 night that it has “taken note of the feedback” and that the food caterer was reminded of the “strict adherence” to hygiene standards.

It was responding to media queries about an investigation by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) at the Westlite Jalan Tukang dormitory on Oct. 13.

The Sembcorp Marine statement read: “The company is cognisant of the diverse food preferences of migrant workers from different cultures and has been working closely with the caterer to continuously cater to the differing needs of the individuals.”

Allegations surfaced online

Allegations about uninfected workers being placed in the same confined spaces with Covid-19 infected workers, workers resorting to resting outside their rooms, a lack of medical care, and poor quality of food served were published in an online article on Weixin, which is widely accessed by China WeChat users.

The piece also provided multiple photos of catered food that contained insects, hair, and pieces of newspaper.

The images were also accompanied with media that showed workers on the ground, in queues, and being moved individual by individual out of the dorm.

Authorities stepped in

MOM officers and riot police showed up on Wednesday at the dorm to investigate allegations.

Centurion Corporation, which operates the dorm, said on Thursday that there was a "spike" in infections among SembCorp Marin workers and that the transfer of Covid-19 patients to recovery and healthcare facilities was delayed.

An earlier statement on Thursday saw Centurion saying it wanted to provide "context and clarity" to claims about the dorm workers.

The dormitory has a capacity of 3,400 beds, of which about 1,400 beds were occupied by Sembcorp Marine workers, the dorm operator said.

Due to the large numbers, there have been delays in conveying them to recovery facilities and healthcare facilities, the operator explained.

All the infected workers have since been taken to the appropriate care or recovery facilities, and the MOM's Assurance, Care and Engagement (ACE) Group has deployed a mobile medical team to be present at the dormitory and to overcome "logistical challenges posed by this recent increase".

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