By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, May 11: A dirty toilet in an eatery can ruin one’s appetite and Kuching’s gastronomic reputation, especially when tourists visit the city, so we must always ensure that public toilets are safe, clean, and in good working condition, says Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng today at the Kuching Clean Toilet Campaign certificate presentation ceremony.
The Kuching Clean Toilet Campaign certificate was awarded to 58 food premise operators for maintaining the cleanliness of their eateries.
According to Wee, the objective of the campaign’s implementation is to encourage food premise operators, in particular, to upgrade the existing toilets in their premises to be cleaner, user-friendly, and modern.
Whether running a coffee shop, cafe, or restaurant, the mayor advised food premise operators to always ensure that their toilet is safe, in good working order, pristine, and has proper cleaning tools.
“Most people, if not all, can get very uptight with cleanliness.
“A true food connoisseur would probably agree with this,” he stated.
Wee went on to say that the campaign serves as a platform for educating consumers, particularly the general public, about the importance of ethics and hygiene when using public toilets, as well as encouraging innovative toilet designs, including specifications, installation, and maintenance.
He mentioned that MBKS is one of the local authorities in Sarawak that provides public services, and one of its key roles is to provide adequate sanitary facilities such as public toilets.
“The City Council recognises the importance of providing hygienic toilets to ensure user awareness of toilet etiquette, because proper toilet facilities and good user behaviour will improve the cleanliness, sanitation, well-being, and health of the environment as well as the community or society at large.
“We have installed public toilets in high-traffic areas such as markets, hawker centres, parks, and recreational areas.
“The Council currently maintains seven public toilets; however, we face challenges, particularly in terms of toilet etiquette, security, and vandalism,” the mayor explained.
To address these issues, he explained that the Council launched the Star Rated Toilet System Project in 2010, in which they inspect and grade public toilets under their jurisdiction while also providing a platform to educate the public on proper toilet etiquette.
“This project is similar to Singapore’s ‘Happy Toilet Programme’, a star-grading initiative for public toilets launched in July 2003 with five main focuses on design, cleanliness, effectiveness, maintenance, and user satisfaction,” he added.
Furthermore, Wee stated that cleanliness is closely related to the health of the city’s people, and that a dirty city reflects its people’s mentality and attitude toward hygiene and cleanliness.
“I believe and am confident that this campaign will not only create a community that is more responsible for the improvement and cleanliness of Kuching city, but will also make MBKS an example to other local authorities in terms of environmental hygiene,” he remarked. — DayakDaily
