Public toilets throughout the country must be at least 85 per cent clean by next year, said Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung.

He said the target was important to ensure Malaysians and tourists get access to satisfactory sanitation services including at restaurants, shopping malls and schools, more so with 2014 being Visit Malaysia Year.

"My ministry through the local authorities will take the necessary steps to ensure the target is met, including introducing a Clean Toilets Action Plan next year.

"Our audits show, the level of cleanliness of public toilets throughout the country improved to above 60 per cent the last two years. We want the situation to improve further so that they all achieve three star and above status," he told reporters after launching the national-level World Toilets Day 2012
celebration here today.

He said the action plan, which will be implemented by the local authorities from next year, would be focusing on dirty toilets, on the management and user-friendly aspects and also toilet design.

He added that his ministry was also looking into the possibility of using building by-laws to take sterner action against building owners who neglected cleanliness of toilets.

On another matter, Chor said his ministy would be looking into the call by Cuepacs (the umbrella union for civil servants) for the remuneration scheme of local authority and Road Transport Department enforcement officers to be reviewed.

"My ministry does not have the power change their scheme. It is in the hands of the Public Service Department (PSD). However, we can conduct a study on the matter and make the appropriate recommendations to the PSD," he said.

Cuepacs president Datuk Omar Osman yesterday was reported to have said that there were 6,000 such personnel, who were in Grade N, the same grade as non-executive office staff.

He said these personnel risked life and limb to carry out their duties and as such should be duly compensated.

At the function, Chor also presented the Clean Toilets Award to the winners in 10 categories - Local Authorities (Cities Municipalities), Local Authorities (Districts), Government offices, Higher Learning Institutions, Secondary schools, primary schools, public transport terminals, tourist sites, restaurants
and shopping complexes.