KUALA LUMPUR: The MADANI government, through the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT), has upgraded a total of 11,397 public toilets under the jurisdiction of local authorities over the past two years, says Minister Nga Kor Ming.
He said the initiative, costing RM800 million, reflected the government’s commitment to fostering civic awareness and instilling a culture of cleanliness, in addition to preparing for Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025 and Visit Malaysia Year 2026.
According to Nga, KPKT is also working on upgrading 16 BMW (clean, attractive, and fragrant) public toilets to smart toilets, known as BMW-i toilets, in line with technological advancements in the sanitation industry.
“Features of BMW-i toilets include built-in automatic bidets, automatic floor cleaning machines, automatic doors for accessible toilets, and an automated customer feedback tool,” he told reporters after officiating the Toilet of the Year Award (TOTYA) 2024 here tonight.
He said an additional RM4 million had been allocated to Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the Putrajaya Corporation to pilot the BMW-i toilet projects at Jalan Alor and Jalan Petaling (Kuala Lumpur) as well as Dataran Masjid and Anjung Flora (Putrajaya), with each location receiving RM1 million.
On TOTYA 2024, Nga said that the number of entries this year rose by 82 per cent to 625, compared to 345 last year, indicating that the BMW Public Toilet initiative had been well-received by all sectors.
“Categories being contested include shopping malls, hotels, restaurants, rest and service areas (R&R), and petrol stations, with a new category for places of worship to be introduced next year.
“KPKT has received entries from 47 shopping malls, 43 hotels, 44 restaurants, 22 R&R, and 237 petrol stations,” he said.
Nga added that TOTYA had been approved by the Cabinet as an official annual event to highlight the importance of cleanliness as a collective effort.
