POOR attitude of people when using public toilets is making it difficult to keep these public amenities in working order.Johor housing and local government committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor said public toilets were often vandalised.
“Although cleaning and repair work are carried out, those who use the facility have a poor attitude and low level of civic-consciousness.
“Local authorities in Johor will always strive to ensure the level of cleanliness and public toilet facilities are in good condition and achieve the highest star rating,” he said.
He said this in reply to Andrew Chen Kah Eng (PH-Stulang), who asked if the Johor government would monitor and identify public toilets in need of maintenance and repairs for the convenience of users.
Mohd Jafni said not all public toilets were maintained by the state government, and that some of these facilities were owned by local authorities and rented out while others were maintained by the private sector.
He said one such example was the public toilets at Taman Tun Aminah Skudai Bus Terminal.
He added that Housing and Local Government Ministry had developed guidelines for star rating of public toilet hygiene in local authority areas.
The objective of such guidelines was to provide clarification and assistance to local governments on how to implement the star rating in their jurisdictions.
“In order to keep public toilets clean and well-maintained, the local authorities in Johor have hired a cleaning contractor to ensure more efficient maintenance and administration practices.
“Cleaning schedules are provided by the local authorities for the upkeep of public toilets in recreational parks, which is either outsourced or maintained in-house by designated employees,” he said.
Mohd Jafni also said that local governments were conducting regular inspections of all public restrooms to identify damaged toilets and restroom facilities that needed to be repaired.
“Minor damage will be remedied right away, while major ones will be addressed depending on repair work and public facility upgrades at the appropriate sites.
“Apart from that, it is hoped that all parties can work together to nurture and educate the people and community on the importance of keeping the environment clean and safe,” he added.