KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 — Malaysia should emulate developing countries, such as its close neighbour, Thailand, in promoting good hygiene practices in public toilets, said social activist Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.

He said Malaysia needs a toilet revolution where the people do something about keeping the toilets clean all the time and not leave them dirty.

"We need to revolutionise our thinking about the subject of toilets. We must not have the idea that toilets are meant to be dirty and so we need not do anything about it.

"To use the developed countries as a benchmark may be too ambitious. We should instead emulate some of the developing countries such as our neighbour Thailand which is known for their clean toilets including in rural areas,” he said in a statement today in response to the dirty toilets issue raised by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday.

The prime minister reportedly said that he was embarrassed by the dirty and smelly state of public toilets in the country, which he added reflects the poor civic responsibility of Malaysians.

Lee also suggested the design of the toilets be improved as Malaysians of various backgrounds have different ways of using the facilities, giving the example that some prefer to use cubicles rather than open urinals.

"It is high time for the public to be educated on how to use toilets in a proper manner. There is also the need to instil a culture of cleanliness about public toilets so that they can be user-friendly,” he said. — Bernama