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http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Tuesday/National/20060905074525/Article/local1_html
KUALA LUMPUR: Half a million ringgit for a public toilet?
That is how much City Hall Kuala Lumpur is expected to spend on each of the 20 smart toilets to be placed throughout the city.
A City Hall official said about RM10 million had been allocated to place the hi-tech, self-cleaning toilets in busy areas.
"The allocation is part of City Hall’s move to upgrade the capital’s image for next year’s Visit Malaysia Year," he said.
Each smart toilet will have two cubicles.
The smart toilet apparently will come with an automatic seat cleaner capable of washing, scrubbing and drying the seat after every use.
The high cost of the toilets is also due to its ability to wash the entire toilet floor after every five users, the official said.
Additional cost is also attributed to the toilet’s capability to signal a warning after 14 minutes to those using the toilet.
Every user is allowed 15 minutes after which the automatic door will open by itself and users will have to slot in additional coins into the machine.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Tuesday/National/20060905074525/loo2.JPG
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Tuesday/National/20060905074525/loo1.JPG
Users will be charged RM1 each time to use the toilets measuring 2.25m x 5.25m, with a height of 3.25m. So far, two smart toilets have been placed in the Bukit Bintang area.
A project manager involved in the sanitation and construction industry said that similar toilets were available in European countries.
"Each smart toilet, if converted from pound sterling to ringgit, would cost about RM120,000. And if the toilets were assembled locally than the price should be about RM200,000," he said.
While the smart toilet costs City Hall RM500,000 each, the project manager said a basic four-cubicle toilet with two urinals and two wash basins usually costs between RM50,000 and RM60,000.
In England, he said, users were charged £1 to use the smart toilets.
"I totally agree that the smart toilets will lift the image of public toilets. But it should not cost so much," the manager added.
Meanwhile, Datuk Bandar Datuk Ruslin Hasan declined to comment on the cost and the features of the toilet.
Ruslin added that he would call for a Press conference on Thursday to make an official announcement.
Thumbs down for move
KUALA LUMPUR: City Hall should spend its money wisely instead of flushing it down the drain.
The money that is being spent on installing the smart toilets costing RM500,000 each could be better spent on other projects which would benefit city folk.
Several politicians said it would be better to educate the public on good toilet habits.
Bukit Bintang Umno head Datuk Abdul Azim Mohd Zabidi said the toilet habits of many Malaysians were still below par compared with those in developed countries.
"Spending half a million ringgit on each toilet is too much. We can have the best toilets but if the attitude of the people does not change, it is a waste of money."
Azim said the smart toilets were successfully implemented in developed countries as the people in those countries had good toilet habits to begin with.
He added that instead of spending taxpayers’ money on smart toilets, City Hall should encourage the private sector to take up the project.
"The private sector could recover their investment by charging a fee for the use of the toilets."
Federal Territory MCA chief Datuk Tan Chai Ho said it was not necessary for City Hall to spend so much on public toilets.
"They could have built basic toilets and have people maintaining them regularly. What the public wants is clean toilets," he said, adding that the smart toilets might not last long due to the public’s poor toilet habits.
People’s Progressive Party Federal Territory chief A. Chandrakumaran, said the money should be channelled for the benefit of city folk.
"City Hall should create job opportunities for jobless city folk. There are still a lot of people who are jobless and the automated toilets are not going to help create jobs," he said.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Tuesday/National/20060905074525/loo.JPG
KUALA LUMPUR: Half a million ringgit for a public toilet?
That is how much City Hall Kuala Lumpur is expected to spend on each of the 20 smart toilets to be placed throughout the city.
A City Hall official said about RM10 million had been allocated to place the hi-tech, self-cleaning toilets in busy areas.
"The allocation is part of City Hall’s move to upgrade the capital’s image for next year’s Visit Malaysia Year," he said.
Each smart toilet will have two cubicles.
The smart toilet apparently will come with an automatic seat cleaner capable of washing, scrubbing and drying the seat after every use.
The high cost of the toilets is also due to its ability to wash the entire toilet floor after every five users, the official said.
Additional cost is also attributed to the toilet’s capability to signal a warning after 14 minutes to those using the toilet.
Every user is allowed 15 minutes after which the automatic door will open by itself and users will have to slot in additional coins into the machine.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Tuesday/National/20060905074525/loo2.JPG
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Tuesday/National/20060905074525/loo1.JPG
Users will be charged RM1 each time to use the toilets measuring 2.25m x 5.25m, with a height of 3.25m. So far, two smart toilets have been placed in the Bukit Bintang area.
A project manager involved in the sanitation and construction industry said that similar toilets were available in European countries.
"Each smart toilet, if converted from pound sterling to ringgit, would cost about RM120,000. And if the toilets were assembled locally than the price should be about RM200,000," he said.
While the smart toilet costs City Hall RM500,000 each, the project manager said a basic four-cubicle toilet with two urinals and two wash basins usually costs between RM50,000 and RM60,000.
In England, he said, users were charged £1 to use the smart toilets.
"I totally agree that the smart toilets will lift the image of public toilets. But it should not cost so much," the manager added.
Meanwhile, Datuk Bandar Datuk Ruslin Hasan declined to comment on the cost and the features of the toilet.
Ruslin added that he would call for a Press conference on Thursday to make an official announcement.
Thumbs down for move
KUALA LUMPUR: City Hall should spend its money wisely instead of flushing it down the drain.
The money that is being spent on installing the smart toilets costing RM500,000 each could be better spent on other projects which would benefit city folk.
Several politicians said it would be better to educate the public on good toilet habits.
Bukit Bintang Umno head Datuk Abdul Azim Mohd Zabidi said the toilet habits of many Malaysians were still below par compared with those in developed countries.
"Spending half a million ringgit on each toilet is too much. We can have the best toilets but if the attitude of the people does not change, it is a waste of money."
Azim said the smart toilets were successfully implemented in developed countries as the people in those countries had good toilet habits to begin with.
He added that instead of spending taxpayers’ money on smart toilets, City Hall should encourage the private sector to take up the project.
"The private sector could recover their investment by charging a fee for the use of the toilets."
Federal Territory MCA chief Datuk Tan Chai Ho said it was not necessary for City Hall to spend so much on public toilets.
"They could have built basic toilets and have people maintaining them regularly. What the public wants is clean toilets," he said, adding that the smart toilets might not last long due to the public’s poor toilet habits.
People’s Progressive Party Federal Territory chief A. Chandrakumaran, said the money should be channelled for the benefit of city folk.
"City Hall should create job opportunities for jobless city folk. There are still a lot of people who are jobless and the automated toilets are not going to help create jobs," he said.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Tuesday/National/20060905074525/loo.JPG
