SINGAPORE - On Thursday (June 1) evening, 200 Muslim migrant workers broke fast with Member of Parliament for Marine Parade GRC Associate Professor Fatimah Lateef and the senior management of the company.

Dr Fatimah, along with 10 executives from international property and infrastructure firm Lendlease prepared and served gado gado, the Indonesian salad, to 200 of the firm's workers as a snack before taking a communal dinner with them.

Another 400 or so Muslim workers broke fast at a nearby building as part of the event, that was also extended to about 600 non-Muslims workers at the construction site of the upcoming Paya Lebar Quarter development.

The event was in recognition of the workers hard work and dedication.

This is the second straight year that Lendlease is organising a large-scale celebration to commemorate the fasting month of Ramadan, off positive feedback from workers about last year's festivities.

"It helps us to feel less home sick as we can't be with our families during this difficult period," said Muhammad Farhad Hossain Eskender Ali, 31, an environment, health and safety coordinator who hails from Bangladesh.

Holding large celebrations like this are part of Lendlease's larger initiatives to help their Muslim staff during Ramadan.

Other initiatives include having Muslim workers wear identifying stickers on their helmets to ensure that others take more notice of their physical well-being, and having fasting workers do night shifts so they are not exposed to the heat of the sun.

Dr Fatimah told the workers: "You are part of our community as well, some of you being here for up to 12 years and we thank you for the work that you do."