Economist's call for the poor to share toilets stinks, netizens say

A renowned mainland economist has been under fire in the two weeks since he suggested on his blog that government-subsidised flats should have communal rather than individual toilets.

Academic Mao Yushi, 80, of the Beijing-based Unirule Institute of Economics, said communal toilets would deter officials and their families from abusing policy loopholes to snap up subsidised homes.

'Low-rent housing should not have private toilets. In this way, rich folk won't want to buy such flats,' he said, contending that the better-off would not settle for a communal toilet if they could afford not to. He claimed in the posting that one of his friends had abused his official power to buy a subsidised home for himself.

But netizens reacted strongly to Mr Mao's suggestion, saying he was an advocate of discrimination against the poor.

Of more than 73,000 respondents to an ongoing online survey since Thursday, nearly 70 per cent were against the idea, saying a private toilet was an essential right for every human being, including the poor.

'In Mr Mao's world, civilisation has gone backwards. In modern society, you hardly ever hear of the poor having to do without a private toilet,' one netizen said.

Another asked Mr Mao: 'Are you telling the world that this is about socialism with Chinese characteristics? Do you mean our nation is just somewhere the poor deserve nothing but a room without a private toilet?'