Joniansyah, Jakarta – The Department for Culture and Tourism this afternoon launched the National Movement for Clean Public Toilets. The event took place at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, the Juanda Airport in Surabaya and the Ngurah Rai Airport in Denpasar Bali.

“Toilets are a barometer of cleanliness and culture. Why was [the movement] proclaimed at the airport, because airports represent a gateway [to the nation]”, said the wife of the culture and tourism minister, Jero Wacik, who spoke at the Soekarno-Hatta launch on Friday February 17.

Wacik said that it is time for the Indonesian nation to polish up individual’s level of mutual sensitivity and tolerance, particularly in the use of public facilities. “A nation’s image is cultivated by its toilet cleanliness at airports”, he said.

According to the technical director of the state-own airport operator PT Angkasa Putra, I Made Dhordie, almost 80 percent of aircraft passengers visit the toilet before and after flying. The Soekarno-Hatta Airport has 188 toilets. In order to enhance the clean atmosphere, toilets will be beautified with decorations. “We are decorating toilets by giving them wall decorations”, he said.

[Translated by James Balowski.]