Instilling Good Washroom Etiquette To More Than 800 Students

SEPANG – More than 800 students from primary schools around the vicinity of KL International Airport (IATA Code: KUL) are now equipped with good washroom etiquette through Malaysia Airports' CSR programme, 'Pay It Forward.' First introduced in 2017 in conjunction with World Toilet Day, the campaign which is part of the organisation's Airport@Community CSR pillar started off as a public service reminder on the washroom do’s and don’ts. The campaign's messages were broadcasted nationwide through TV, digital platforms and social media educating Malaysians to use the public toilets mindfully so that the next user will have the same pleasant experience. Today, the campaign continues with Malaysia Airports reaching out to the young through specially organised educational trips to the airport for a hands-on learning experience on good washroom etiquette. 

According to Raja Azmi Raja Nazuddin, group chief executive officer of Malaysia Airports, spearheading such civic minded campaigns is important to the organisation as it is the main gateway to the country as well as the custodian of a public infrastructure. “As a caring host, washroom cleanliness at our airports is vital to us as it portrays our country's image and culture to the international passengers. On top of ensuring our washrooms are cleaned around the clock by our team of hardworking janitors, it is imperative that we also instil the culture of mindfulness to users so that everyone will have the same pleasant experience. Hence, we are going all out to educate these primary students on good washroom etiquette as it is best to start them young. I am happy to share that we have more than 10 participating schools with positive responses under this initiative."

For this 'Pay It Forward' initiative, the campaign team at KUL will host as many as 40 students for each half-day field trip. Upon arrival at KUL, the students will be whisked to the assigned washrooms to undergo a fun educational session on good washroom etiquette such as learning how to use the bidet and making sure the toilet seat is left clean and dry after usage. The field trip also includes an exciting visit around the terminal for the students to look at the aircraft and be inspired by airport operations. After each field trip, the students will be encouraged to write about their experience through an essay competition organised by Malaysia Airports. 

As the 'Pay It Forward' initiative evolves to be better and more effective every year, we intend to organise a Washroom Cleanliness Competition this year among the schools that have participated in our campaign in 2018. These schools will compete and vie for the Cleanest Washroom Award. The winner will be announced in an event that we will hold in conjunction with World Toilet Day on 19 November 2019. This competition aims to reinforce the message that washroom cleanliness and the culture of mindfulness should not only be practiced at home but also when using public facilities for the greater good of the nation.