‘Do something about the filthy, stinking loos’

Public toilets and drains the bane of most M’sians

PETALING JAYA: The terrible state of public toilets is the one thing that most Malaysians want fixed, followed by dirty drains, clogged culverts and foul-smelling pools on sidewalks.

Recent reminders that leptospirosis is far from gone has sparked off calls for cleanliness by the people, with some taking to social media to voice their opinions.

“Toilets in some public schools are disgusting. If you want to cultivate cleanliness in toilets, start them young,” Facebook user Ivy Chai wrote on The Star Online’s Facebook page.

Hasina Nazir Deen said school toilets were the worst. “Please do something about that first. Thank you.”

Maria Christina called on enforcement officials to inspect school and university toilets because they were in deplorable condition.

There were also many complaints about the state of toilets in the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and KLIA2.

“Worst experience in KLIA main terminal. Their toilets are dirty, no toilet paper, broken taps and wet floors!” wrote Joy Felixity.

There were similar complaints about the toilets at train stations, the bird park, food courts, night and wet markets, and even those at the High Court building.

“The Sentul wet market’s toilet is simply horrible! Worse than any slum area. Completely dirty, full of faeces and everything is broken!” read a post by Lye Hin.

And the toilets at R&R stops along the highways are no better, according to netizens.

“PLUS rest stop toilets, they are usually clean but always wet. I once got sprayed by a user in the next cubicle. We should just do away with external pipes. Just have bidets in the toilet bowls,” said Joelynn Chin.

Some pointed out that the wet floors could be dangerous, especially for children and the elderly who could slip and fall.

Richard Chuah slammed the toilets at public hospitals. “Some of the toilets are run down,” he said. “Yesterday at the GH, I had a bad stomach ache but when I saw the toilet with its broken bidet, dirty seat cover and the flush not working, I decided to hold it until I got home.”

Punithan Kanniappan urged the Klang Municipal Council to do something about the culverts and monsoon drains there which were clogged with rubbish and other debris.

“Also check clogged drainage holes along the road dividers that cause floods on the roads,” he said.

On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said local authorities have been told to beef up their efforts to keep public areas clean and hygienic.

“This means dirty public toilets, rat- infested premises and foul-smelling drains should be a thing of the past,” he said.

This was one of the issues discussed at the Local Government Council meeting as the Government looked for ways to improve the services of local authorities and safeguard the environment.