Malaysia strikes at the seat of public toilet stench

'Squat-proof' design is part of a scheme to flush away woes

Malaysia's government is tackling what it sees as a problem with squatters - in its public toilets.

In an attempt to clean up public toilets, a pilot scheme launched at a busy train station has introduced Malaysians to a 'squat-proof' toilet seat.

Officials are pinning their hopes on the new toilets flushing away the grime, stench and squelchy mess typical of the public toilets in the capital.

The secret weapon in the war on unhygienic toilets is a concave iron panel placed above the bowl that prevents users from squatting. Users have to bend forward and 'back in' to sit on the seat.

The toilets also come with a western-style flush system, a small hose that squirts water and a chemical substance on the bowls to overpower unpleasant smells.

'Many toilet bowls have cracked because users squat on the toilet seats instead of sitting on them,' said Ridza Salleh, whose company designed the new system. He said vandals and pickpockets who flushed their victim's wallets away added to the maintenance costs.