A mayoral campaign video promising to install bidet toilet seats in Taipei public restrooms was taken down yesterday after the proposal by former minister of health and welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) candidate for Taipei, drew criticism from the the public and political opponents.
The video promised bidets if Chen is elected mayor, but a scene in which Chen is depicted delivering a bidet seat to a man in a public restroom prompted accusations that the video promoted sexual harassment.
At Chen’s campaign headquarters, his campaign director, DPP Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤), said the team’s vision is to ensure that city residents are happier, and small parts of daily life, including public toilets, contribute to a sense of well-being.
Photo: CNA
There are about 3,673 public restrooms, including an estimated 7,200 stalls, that are managed by the city government and the plan is to install bidet seats to improve hygiene, Wu said.
In addition to ensuring that toilet paper is in all of them, the proposal includes equipping public restrooms with alcohol-based disinfectants, disposable seat covers and bidets, she said, adding that janitors would be required to enhance disinfection measures to ensure hygiene.
The installation of bidets might seem trivial, but it is actually important, as it shows consideration for people’s needs, Chen said.
The cleanliness of public toilets often leaves an impression on tourists, as shown by how people respond to high-tech toilets in big cities in Japan, Chen said, adding that he hopes Taipei would become an international city that leaves a good impression on visitors.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), the KMT’s candidate for Taipei mayor, said that people care more about the frequency of cleaning and maintenance of public restrooms.
Also, women are more concerned about long lines, Chiang said.
Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊), who is seeking the top job as an independent, said that Chen’s proposal is “fancy, but impractical,” and the focus should be on management and maintenance.
The video promoting the policy featured Internet celebrity Liu Yu (劉宇席), who goes by the nicknamed 4XCat (四叉貓).
A scene depicts Liu sitting in a stall and knocking on the divider to ask for toilet paper. A bidet toilet seat is lowered on a string and Liu looks up to see Chen waving to him over the top of the divider as he delivers the replacement seat.
A revised version of the video was uploaded after the original was deleted. The peeking scene was deleted in the new version.
The original drew criticism online as well as from KMT city councilors, who said that “peeping in restrooms” is sexual harassment and the scene made them uncomfortable.
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