You can go to a gas station and find the cash register open and the toilets locked. They must think toilet paper is worth more than money.
– Joey Bishop, American TV entertainer who had his own weekly comedy series
Yesterday was World Toilet Day. And I am glad that three local councils, namely Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS), Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) and Serian District Council (MDS) have renewed their commitment to ensure clean and hygienic public toilets.
I must take my hats off to the council chairmen, Datuk Peter Minos (MPKS), Tan Kai (MPP) and Lim Hock Meng (MDS), for reaffirming their commitment. I believe the heads of other councils state-wide have renewed their commitment or in the process of doing so; but if they have yet to, it’s about time they did so.
Talk about dirty public toilets! I have travelled to several countries in the course of my career and if you asked me which country in my opinion had the worst toilets – in terms of cleanliness and hygiene – I would unflinchingly say, MALAYSIA.
Yes! Not even China or India can be as bad as Malaysia. Bear in mind that I am just giving my opinion; you guys may have your views about public toilets, or school and government department WCs.
There is nothing much to comment about Indian toilets, as there are not many public WCs unless you head to hotels or shopping complexes. In many areas, water is not readily available, hence the lack of public toilets, furthermore it is also expensive to maintain them. You have to do your job out in the open – behind some trees or buildings!
As for China, toilets in most cities and urban areas were as bad as in India not many years ago, but the situation has improved by leaps and bound now. If you thought the world’s mighty and rich USA had the cleanest public toilets, then you thought wrong. The Americans didn’t make it to the top ten list in an international public survey.
China’s Shanghai was rated at number two as the city with cleanest public toilets behind Tokyo, Japan. Third was Zurich, Switzerland and fourth, Sweden’s Stockholm. Malaysia was not on the list. Maybe the pollsters forgot that we existed or they thought it’s not worth their trouble, or their time and money.
Honestly, I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I used one single word, ‘disgusting’, to describe some of our public or kopitiam WCs. Our ‘Ladies’ or the ‘Gents’ do not have a good reputation. Our awareness level of cleanliness can be said to be still at a very low level.
According to 2022 figures, 5,241 or 20 per cent of the 26,081 public toilets in areas under the local councils received only a two-star or lower rating for being dirty, ill-maintained or in unsatisfactory condition.
Keeping public loos clean means upholding the country’s dignity, as foreign tourists use them. Surely, you don’t expect the foreigners to keep quiet when they are faced with stinking toilets? Filthy public loos reflect Malaysians’ poor hygiene level and their lack of responsibility in maintaining public facilities.
Malaysians who dirty or vandalise public WCs do not have toilet etiquette and are not civic-minded. Some of the ‘offences’ that I have come across include not flushing the loo; throwing cigarette butts, tissues, and sanitary pads (I want to puke even as I mention this) into the toilet bowl; toilet water leaking onto the floor; dirtying the toilet floor; wasting tissue paper; and not putting trash in the bins.
I guess all these habits reflect their family upbringing! Lack of a sense of belonging could best describe the nonchalant attitude of public toilet users. Now, would you misuse your home toilets? Wouldn’t your parents or family members tick you off? Remember this: it’s our duty to keep public loos clean, and do not rely on the cleaners to clean up the mess that you have left behind! And do not think that just because you are paying taxes, it’s the responsibility of the kerajaan – in this case the local authorities! Where’s your sense of responsibility?
While the general public is guilty of the atrocious conditions of the loos, kopitiam owners are equally guilty of the poorly maintained WCs on their premises.
Believe me, dirty toilets will cost coffeeshop proprietors business, maybe not enough to close them down, but rest assured a certain percentage of their customers will never return. They might also ‘spread the word’ on social media and when this happens, business is bound to be affected. It has happened to some outlets in Kuching which used to have roaring business.
Losing customers and the chance to get new customers can be devastating, remember that. The majority of customers visit food outlets on friends’ recommendations though customers are also influenced through social media.
Come to think of it, would you want to return to the outlet if the toilet floor is flooded, lacks tissues or foul stench emanates from the toilet bowl? If the eatery or kopitiam does not bother to keep its loo clean, imagine the level of its food cleanliness and hygiene. There is no knowing what’s going on in the kitchen or drink section!
Many of the coffeeshop toilets in the city have urine pong coming out for the loos. A majority of the proprietors do not bother about keeping the WCs clean because of the high costs of maintenance.
In the final analysis, I guess it’s back to the uncivil and inconsiderate customers who cause the dirty condition of the loos.
By the way, even some schools have deplorable toilets where students are said to avoid breakfast to resist the urge to go to the loo.
In September last year, the then education minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin said his ministry would implement better toilets for students and teachers. Not sure if the present Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek has followed up on her predecessor’s proposal.
“There are students who only eat after they have returned home. They refused to use the school toilets because they are dirty. Our toilets are always wet and students fear that they might dirty their clothes,” Dr Radzi reportedly said.
Just plain talk and no follow-up action is pointless. Unless the relevant authorities strictly impose and enforce the regulations, there will be no visible improvement to what I would call, Malaysia’s ‘dirty toilet syndrome’.
Loos – be they in schools, restaurants, coffeeshops, shopping complexes, hospitals or government premises – will continue to remain filthy if the authorities’ spirit is willing but the flesh is weak!
For businesses, I might have an immediate solution: initiate a massive boycott and put them out of existence. Cruel as it might seem, is there a more effective solution?
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
