Westlite Accommodation Malaysia (Westlite), an owner-operator of Purpose-Built Workers Accommodation (PBWA) or Centralised Accommodations, announced plans to increase its PBWA capacity in Malaysia to cater to the growing needs of multinational companies, small and medium enterprises and human resource agents in Malaysia.

Following the completion of its reconfiguration exercise in December 2021, all Westlite PBWA assets in Malaysia are in compliance with the new regulatory specifications set out in the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities (Amendment) Act 2019 (Act 446) which is aligned with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards.

All the dormitories in Westlite’s portfolio have since received the Certificate of Accommodation from the Department of Labour Peninsular Malaysia or Jabatan Tenaga Kerja Semenanjung Malaysia (JTKSM).

Act 446 was passed in July 2019 and became fully enforceable at the end of 2021 following extended grace periods given by the Government due to the challenging Covid-19 situation.

The amended act made it mandatory for employers across all sectors to provide accommodation for migrant workers that meets the minimum standards specified by Act 446. This includes the provision of utilities and amenities such as a bathroom, toilet, bed and mattress, a locked cupboard as well as sufficient space for cooking, resting and eating.

“Westlite is always exploring ways to grow organically by reconfiguring spaces to increase capacity. In 2Q 2022, asset enhancement works carried out at Westlite Tebrau for instance added 688 beds to the portfolio.

“With more employers including SMEs striving to comply with Act 446, we expect to see a growth in demand for high-quality, thoughtfully constructed and professionally-managed worker accommodations.

“This would also benefit the human resource agents who now need to ensure that they are adequately housing the foreign workers whom they bring into Malaysia,” said Kong Chee Min, Chief Executive Officer of Centurion Corporation Limited, which owns the Westlite Accommodation brand.

Westlite’s Malaysian portfolio currently comprises eight Westlite Accommodation properties located across Johor, Penang and Selangor.

-HR HUB