Ti said there had not been any progress report after Nga announced in November that an additional RM4 million had been allocated for the toilets to be built in four locations in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

“It isn’t a paltry sum, which is why the ministry owes the tax-paying public an update,” he said.

Ti said the public needed toilets that were clean and functioning. However he questioned the need to spend RM4 million on four toilets at a time when the people were grappling with the increasing cost of living.

“This money could be put into better use by providing low cost housing for the needy. We should not be tone deaf to the plight of the hard-core poor by replacing their needs for shelter with million dollar toilets,” he said.

Last year, Nga said funds were allocated to construct two “BMW-i” or Bersih, Menawan, Wangi (clean, attractive, and fragrant) smart toilets each in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, with such features as built-in automatic bidets, automatic floor-cleaning machines, and automatic doors for people with disabilities.

Ti said today: “We don’t need no BMW-class toilets. We need functional and easy to maintain toilets instead of high class toilets with higher end maintenance.”

He said a recent outcry over a MyKiosk project by Nga’s ministry had made it even more urgent for an update on the toilet scheme.

In May, Selangor MCA Youth filed a complaint calling for an investigation into the project’s funding and execution. In response, Nga dismissed allegations that the initiative was a white elephant. Under the plan, standardised trading spaces will be provided for rent by the B40 group and small traders.