KUALA LUMPUR: Getting students to take turns to wash their school toilets should not be viewed negatively, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said that such an activity would help instill Madani values in students while being more appreciative of the efforts of others.
"I have directed Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek to check on conditions of schools as many of the school toilets were spoiled and have been neglected for years.
"I asked how we could send our children to schools if the toilets are in such a state.
"They are humans too," he said in his speech while launching the D'Anjung Selera Madani food court in Bandar Tun Razak on Saturday (June 3).
Anwar said he had previously implemented a programme as education minister where students took turns to clean their school toilets.
Anwar served as education minister between 1986 and 1991.
"I received actual telegrams from some professionals and well-to-do parents as there were no messaging apps back then, reminding me that they sent their children to school to learn and not to wash toilets.
"My answer was that education was also about learning cleanliness, including respecting those who clean the toilets," he said.
He said that such an activity helped students better value the efforts of their own mothers who kept their home toilets clean.
"They will also appreciate street and public toilet cleaners and that there is value in their work," he said.
Anwar said he gave some leeway to students who refused to participate in the programme, saying that they were not allowed to use the school toilets.
The Prime Minister said that he brought the matter up as there is a need for an attitude change among the people.
"At times, the well-to-do have no concern or compassion for the lower income group.
"I do not want the Madani concept to be an empty slogan.
"The people must know that there is compassion and love through this Madani concept.
"We should not only look at the materials owned by a person but at their humanitarian values," he said.
Earlier, Anwar said he had made cleanliness and comfort of public amenities a priority for city dwellers when helming the administration.
However, he said that the transformation should not be confined to the Federal Territories but must be implemented nationwide.
"I want to stress that this should be done in all the cities in the country.
"I don't want it only to be done specifically for Kuala Lumpur," he said.
He said that the respective local authorities must have a clear policy on transforming the image of their respective cities.
He added that he had discussed the matter with several Mentris Besar and Chief Ministers.
Anwar also announced that rental for stalls D'Anjung Selera Madani would be lowered to RM200 from RM400.
He later toured the food court which was redeveloped and upgraded at a cost of RM7.2mil.
The food court houses 24 food stalls, three kiosks, a surau and 48 parkings lots.
