Local Gov Development Minister Nga Kor Ming Promises to Improve Public Toilets Nationwide

He posted images to his social media pages of himself trying out the hand soap dispensers and surveying the facilities which included broken asbestos ceilings and broken water pipes.

He mentioned that “The cleanliness of public toilets is important for the country’s image and the well-being of citizens. After completing my tasks in the office, I visited the public toilets at Dataran Merdeka KL tonight. Further action will be taken to improve public toilet facilities throughout the country will be brought up during the meeting of the Ministry of Local Government Development.”

He also said that he hoped that all 155 local authorities throughout the country would create a public toilet cleanliness surveillance unit and execute maintenance works according to schedule to ensure that public toilets throughout Malaysia are always in a clean, functional, and orderly state.

The official Twitter page for the Ministry of Local Government Development also posted images and further images from his visit, sharing that Nga had visited the location after receiving a complaint from a Twitter user about the dismal state of the toilet saying that it was a tourist hotspot but that the stench of the lavatory could be detected from 20 – 30 metres away. The minister also mentioned in his Facebook post that he had received multiple complaints about the toilet.

YB Tuan Nga Kor Ming, Menteri KPKT melakukan lawatan mengejut ke Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur petang ini bagi melihat sendiri fasiliti awam yang disediakan khususnya untuk pelancong dalam dan luar negara. #MalaysiaBerdayaHuni#PasukanKPKT pic.twitter.com/oZQ7ROdVre

— KPKT (@kpkt_gov) January 3, 2023

Nga also inspected other aspects of the area such as the quality of the field, and the cleanliness of the surroundings. He also promised to meet with the Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Mahadi Che Ngah to discuss the maintenance of Dataran Merdeka.

Other Twitter users also aired their grievances on public toilets in Malaysia. One said that some facilities required payment but were extremely dirty on the inside and that the mentality of the citizens and the maintenance culture had to be improved on.

Ada tempat yang nak masuk kena bayar tapi kotor gila kat dalam. Kena improve mentaliti & juga maintenance culture

— Twidder, Inc. (@aghafran) January 4, 2023

Other users voiced their disgust at toilets they had visited in Kuantan, even comparing it to a murder scene despite it being in a government building.

tandas Terminal sentral kuantan pon sama..jijik rasa nak membuang..haha..tandas usang gila.mcm 50tahun dah.

— Name cannot be blank (@ftth_lee) January 4, 2023

Another pointed out that it was not the fact that the government had failed to provide good facilities, but that the public made the toilets dirty by not flushing and by doing their business outside of the toilet bowl.

YB.. tandas awam masalah mentaliti rakyat. Dulu DBKL pernah buat tandas paling cantik macam kat jepun di Taman Tasik Titiwangsa.. malangnya mentaliti beruk yg guna habis jahanam, sekarang pakaitandas biasa.. tu pun beruk2 ni tak tau nak flush dan buang taik di luar kawasan.

— badr Ismail (@badrIsmail1) January 4, 2023

It's safe to say that most of us encounter dirty public toilets now and then. Let’s all hope that the facilities are better maintained in the future and let’s also do our part to keep them clean!

Image credit: facebook.com/ngakormingofficial