SEPANG: The Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) has seen an up to 80 per cent reduction of complaints related to toilet cleanliness since Malaysia Airports introduced its Pay It Forward campaign in 2017 to promote clean and good toilet etiquette.
Its chief operating officer Datuk Mohd Shukrie Mohd Salleh said before the campaign was introduced, complaints regarding toilet cleanliness were among the highest.
"The reduction is more than 70 per cent and even up to 80 per cent.
"We factor in issues raised by the public when we carry out toilet refurbishment works," he said at Malaysia Airports' World Toilet Day Celebration in conjunction with the Pay It Forward Campaign.
The event was launched by Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Senator Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad.
Shukrie said numerous efforts were carried out to improve toilet facilities at the airports.
“I am proud to announce that as part of our continuous efforts towards this end, we are refurbishing a total of 384 toilets at the KLIA,” he said.
These refurbishments include conversion of dry toilets, replacement of toilet ventilation, installation of durable sanitation fittings and more.
"Our efforts are only half the battle won when it comes to cleanliness of the toilets as it is also a collective responsibility,” he said.
On the ongoing toilet refurbishment project, Shukrie said Malaysia Airports aims to complete renovation work on 140 toilets by the end of 2020.
"So far, we have renovated 45 toilets," he said.
He said through its Pay It Forward Campaign, Malaysia Airports had engaged with 14 schools impacting 800 students on the importance of toilet cleanliness.
Earlier, Raja Kamarul Bahrin said World Toilet Day was an initiative to inform, engage, and most importantly inspire the people to take action in tackling the global sanitation crisis.
"According to United Nations Water, 4.2 billion people in the world live without safe sanitation, that is over half of the total human population, and there are an estimated 673 million people who still rely on open defecation as part of their daily routine.
"A total of 432,000 deaths are recorded annually from lack of adequate sanitation.
"Fortunately, Malaysia is blessed with many first-class infrastructures such as those in the nation's premier airport – KL International Airport. However, there is still much to be desired in terms of achieving a first-class mentality among Malaysians," he said.