Monday, Nov 19, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia may not contribute much to United Nations' (UN) alarming statistics that more than 1.1 billion people worldwide defecated in the open.
But, sadly, her public toilets are still a sore sight to behold.
Quality Restroom Association Malaysia (QRAM) secretary-general Jamiah Ja'afar said Malaysians ought to address their lackadaisical attitude towards public toilets in order to lift the image of restrooms nationwide.
She urged both users and authorities to be responsible in establishing clean public toilets.
"If you mess it up, it is your duty to clean it. Once you have done your part, half the job is done and the cleaners only need to perform a basic cleaning routine."
Jamiah was expressing her views in light of World Toilet Day, which is celebrated worldwide today.
Apart from a user's attitude, she said cleaning service companies should send their employees for a basic cleaning course as many workers were "not equipped to clean hygienically".
"The course will teach staff to use proper tools and chemicals with hands-on demonstration."
On a global scale, the UN's special rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation Catarina de Albuquerque said safe, sustainable and affordable access to a toilet was essential for the wellbeing and rights of every human being.
"This is not only about ensuring the right to sanitation, but is also critical for the enjoyment of numerous other rights, such as the right to health, the right to education, right to work and right to lead a life in dignity."
Citing figures from the UN Millennium Development Goals, de Albuquerque said 7,500 people died because of a lack of sanitation, 5,000 of whom were less than 5 years old.
In a statement, she also stressed that 272 million school days were missed each year because of water-borne or sanitation-related diseases worldwide.
"Try to imagine yourself without toilets, no toilet in your workplace and no toilet at home.
"Imagine you have to relieve yourself in the streets of your city or town. Imagine yourself trying to find every single day a quiet, secluded spot.
"Imagine the insecurity and indignity of the situation, especially if you are a woman.
"And suppose you could smell excrement, because your city had no money to build and maintain a proper sewer system," de Albuquerque said.
As a result, in her latest report to the UN General Assembly, de Albuquerque had requested for a post-2015 development agenda that would eliminate discrimination and inequalities in access to water and sanitation.
She hoped the agenda would ensure access to adequate sanitation for all and to devise new policies to address the needs of those who were marginalised.
On this day, her message was simple: "Giving these people sanitation and hygiene will be a fundamental step to allow them to aspire to a better life."
The national-level celebrations of World Toilet Day will be celebrated next Thursday at the Crowne Plaza Mutiara hotel here.
Organised by the Housing and Local Government ministry, the event will be launched by its minister Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung.
