Key Focus Activity (KFA) on Public Toilet " To improve the cleanliness of Council's Public Toilets in Sarawak."

A press release by the local press that the Permanent Secretary , Dr. Penguang Manggil,  to the Ministry of Environment & Public Health or KASKA, Sarawak launched the KFA on Public Toilets and he was happy that a few councils and city hall in Sarawak had already embarked the "Green" programme for their toilets. Sibu was mentioned in the list and glad to hear or read it.



"Tandas Mesra" - at "Sekolah Menegah Tung Hua" , Sibu.

Sibu was very fortunate to have leaders who were very concerned with toilet cleanliness and they are the late YB Datuk Robert Lau Hui Chew and his cousin Cr. Robert Lau Hui Yew. The idea of having a proper and open concept school Toilet at SMK Tung Hua was mooted when (I could remember during the end of 2009 or beginning of 2010 when Cr. Robert Lau visited the School ) PTA committee invited him to visit school to see the space for building of the Squash Court. Cr. Robert Lau Hui Yew was also the Chairman of Sibu Squash Association or whatever and he is an avid squash player. The Assistant Principal or PK Mr. Wong brought us around and he also mentioned that most of the school cluster toilets were in a poor state (might be due to age). We were shown to one space (I think it either the bicycle shed or wooden store room next to one block of class room.) and can't remember whether the Space was measured or not but definitely, all of us agreed that the space was big enough to build one row of toilets. The PTA committee agreed that they will chipped in, Cr. Robert Lau Hui Yew arranged for the design,  and the ball started to roll.....the rest is history.

The total cost of the project is RM 250,000.00 (roughly) . How & Where the money came from? The usual channel  to get money or fund raising for School....Joggerthon  collected  RM 57,730.20. Sponsorship or donation from Public RM 42,269.80 (Roughly) and damn lucky for this School (Why?) another RM 150,000.00  from the feudal (must be due to Cr. Robert Lau Hui Yew's help).

The project begins with earth breaking ceremony on 19th July 2010 and days went by....the project was completed on 20th December 2010 (a record time, I presumed) Finally, the Toilet  Opening Ceremony was graced by YB Datuk Dr.James Dawos Mamit, Feudal Assistant Minister of Tourism, Malaysia and he is also the Chairperson of the Quality Restroom Association of Malaysia (QRAM).

These toilets was beautifully constructed and hope that the Student as well as the Teachers do treasure them.

Like the Chinese saying..." hundred words can't compared to a look " and the followings are the latest pictures taken of the Friendly or " Mesra" Toilet :-     

Pix 1. The "Style" of Toilet.

Pix 2. The Main Entrance to the Toilet.

Pix 3. The Signages separate the Genders.

Pix 4. The Long Sink for the hand washing.

Pix 5. Toilet for the handicap (OKU)

Pix 6. Sanitact or Container for the convenience of the Ladies.

Pix 7. The Airy space between the Washing Sink and the Cubicles.

Pix 7. The long, long space or corridor of the Toilets.



Pix. 8 - showing the toilet cubicles.



Pix 9. Another nice angle of the corridor.

Pix 10.  Urinals for the males.

Pix 11. A closer view of the Urinal Trough for the Males (Student)

Well, SMK Tung Hua really fortunate to have a "starred" toilets for its Staff as well as the students and what the School should do now? It's very important that the school should help to change the mindset of the student or perhaps, formed a Club of the "QRAM" (Quality Restroom Association Malaysia). It'll be another first for Sibu School in Sarawak. Whaaaaaat do you think???

Miri's "Green" vs Sibu's "Open" Concept Public Toilet.

Glad that Public Toilets in Sarawak are getting "greener" or "environmental" friendlier. Where? Miri had one, now (at Saberkas Area) and Sibu had  "Open" Concept (at Sibu Gateway) including  a  few Public Toilets  of these nature ..."Green " or "Environmental'" few years back. Whatever, "Green" or "Environmental"  friendly  or "Open" concept Public Toilets, these toilets  use less lighting (during the day), more airy, dry up quickly due to high headroom, vast openings and Glass panel roofing. 

Well, it would be more "Greener" or "Environmental" friendlier if Public Toilets could  be installed with rain water harvesting devices. Sibu had a few schools toilets which had been recently built & installed with these extra facilities (rain harvesting devices plus open concept).

  Photo 1.  Miri' s "Green" Public Toilet (at Saberkas Area)

Photo 2.  Sibu's "Open" Concept  (at Sibu Gateway).

 

Photo 3. Side View - "Open" Concept Public Toilet (at Sibu Gateway, Sibu.)

Certainly really good that the authority or authorities are trying to build toilets or better concept toilets for the public use but really sad to say that mindsets of most users had not been changed...vandalism, improper use of toilets are still rampant. Mind you, public toilets today is not like those of  yesteryear's..badly built and dirty. Today, most of the local authorities are spending thousand of ringgits to build public toilets as well as to upgrade the toilets esp. the public toilets. and as well as providing fund to maintain them. What's do you say?

Pengauditan dan Menarafan Bintang Tahap Kebersihan Tandas Awam Dikawasan Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan di seluruh Malaysia 2011 (Auditing and Star-rating of all the Public Toilets in all the Local Authorities throughout Malaysia 2011.)

All the Local Authorities (Councils) were informed by Feudal Ministry of Local Government, Kuala Lumpur to carry out the auditing and star rated their Public Toilets in their Municipalities or areas for the year 2011. This grading & star rating exercise will run from 23rd May to 23rd June, 2011. In fact, Sibu Municipal Council had been doing the rating of  their Public Toilets every month and the grading report was submitted to the Council Standing Committee Meeting every month.

This Auditing & Star rating from Feudal Ministry of Local Government, Kuala Lumpur will be a special one in addition to the monthly grading.

Sibu Municipal Council was given the following Grading Format to use and was written in Bahasa Malaysia (our national language).

Page 1.

Page 2

Summary.

Sibu Toilet Council Chairman, Cr. Robert Lau Hui Yew Speaks......

A local press release on 5th June 2011 in the local Chinese Daily (See Hua) by STC Chairperson, Cr. Robert Lau Hui Yew stressed on the importance of School Toilet Cleanliness and Maintenance. The School authorities should pay more attention to  the cleanliness & maintenance of their toilets and parents can forward thier suggestions to Sibu Toilet Council concerning the condition of the school toilets as well as the improvement of the toilets. Sibu Toilet Council will try to convey their suggestions to the School Authority and  the Education Department (if necessary).

Sibu Toilet Council's  record showed that a few school toilets in Sibu  had been upgraded or  new toilets were built  due to the effort of its Chairperson, Cr. Robert Lau Hui Yew.

Toilet at OTAGO Museum.

Miss Debbie Price from IS section of OTAGO University told me that one  toilet is worth seeing and it's close by at the Otago Museum and it's quite a small museum as compare to our national museum. Well, I  only interested in Toilet only.

A glance in the Museum's Toilet, well, it's very Clean and little bit of different is that the toilet seat was colorful and 2 posters were hanged right in front of the men's. ........

A.  A very colorful Toilet Seat Cover

B. Two (2) Posters in front of the Urinals.



C. Clearer View of the Poster.

D. Another View of the Poster.

E.  All the Facilities in the Toilet.

Well, no doubt it's very simple but it carry a message that toilet can be used as a place for dissemination of information, knowledge or for advertisement like using the posters.

A Small Toilet in the land of the Kiwi ( Dunedin, New Zealand.)

It had been quite a while since I last wrote on this blog. Got really disappointed cos' pictures taken in SM Tung Hua, SK Abang Ali and SK Perbandaran Sibu No. 3's Toilets were lost because of the corrupted disk. Effort gone down the drain. A draft write up of these toilets had been done in this blog while waiting for the pictures. Had to take photos when back to Sibu.

Well, last two days while strolling in City of Dunedin, New Zealand and came across a small structured toilet (only two cubicles) and it's not only unisex but it's also for "OKU " or handicap one. It's free for use and self cleansing toilet as well as electronically operated. It was conveniently located in a car park next to a hyper market..NEW WORLD or CENTER CITY shopping  mall. Another special feature of this toilet is sight impaired or blind person friendly and the message in the notice was also engraved in the blind language- Braille .

Both of the toilets were also installed with Sanitac (a disposal bins ) for the ladies. Well, "Grace" and "Shirley  were correct that most of the public toilets  in Dunedin is really Clean. Maybe due to the Mindset of the people here.

Oh Yes, looking at the Dunedin City Map revealed that only 13 such public toilets were installed within the City.

1. The Front View of the Toilet.

2. The Notice Board at the Entrance- noted the engraved braille on the board.

3. The Rear View of the Toilet.

4. The Door (electronically operated)  to the Cubicle.



5. The Toilet Paper dispenser

 

6. The transparent Roofing - a natural lighting

7. All the Facilities inside the Cubicle.

8. The grab bar.

9. The Sanitact  or the container for the convenience of  the ladies.