LOO (Let's Observe Ourselves) Awards Ceremony - Dr Janil Puthucheary

Good afternoon.

It is my privilege to join you for the seventeenth edition of the LOO Awards, the flagship event of the Restroom Association (Singapore) (RAS). This annual gathering is not merely a celebration of award recipients but a reflection of our collective aspirations on public hygiene. Clean and well-maintained public toilets speak to the kind of society we aspire to be, one that values dignity, respect, and care for our shared spaces.

Since 2009, the Restroom Association Singapore has organised the LOO Awards every year in conjunction with the United Nations’ World Toilet Day on 19 November. As we celebrate outstanding clean toilets through the Awards, World Toilet Day also reminds us never to take public health and sanitation for granted.

Singapore has indeed come a long way to achieve the level of cleanliness we enjoy today. In the early years of our independence, many of us were still relying on a bucket system where night soil collectors would collect our household toilet waste every day. Today, we have easy access to clean toilets and sparkling water at home and in our public spaces. This transformation is thanks to the efforts of our forefathers, and their strong desire and commitment to continuously improve our cleanliness and hygiene standards.

Theme for 2025: Make Clean Toilets Our Responsibility

The theme for this year’s LOO Awards, “Make Clean Toilets Our Responsibility,” serves as an important reminder that maintaining public cleanliness and hygiene is a shared commitment. It is not solely the task of cleaners, premises owners and operators, or the government. Every individual who uses a public toilet plays a part in keeping it clean and hygienic for the next user.

Premises owners have increasingly employed innovations in toilets across Singapore such as smart toilet systems that use real-time monitoring, and artificial intelligence systems to support cleaning schedules. These systems consolidate data from people counters, ammonia and humidity sensors, floor wetness detectors, and supply monitors into digital dashboards that guide cleaning teams to act only when and where necessary. This makes maintenance more efficient and enables operators and cleaners to respond to ground issues more quickly.

However, technology can only achieve its full potential when supported by a culture of responsibility. We must continue to inculcate a mindset of shared ownership, which is crucial to sustain improvements in toilet cleanliness over the long term.

Launch of the Coffeeshop Toilet Grants by NEA

To improve the cleanliness of public toilets, MSE, in collaboration with the Public Hygiene Council, set up the Public Toilets Taskforce in March 2024. The Taskforce brought together stakeholders from industry associations, town councils, academia, and public sector agencies to find solutions for cleaner public toilets. Over the course of its work, the Taskforce identified four key pillars for cleaner public toilets: Design and Infrastructure; Cleaning and Maintenance; Monitoring, Audit and Enforcement; and Engagement and Outreach.I would like to take the opportunity to thank RAS and all other Taskforce members for their invaluable support and contributions.

Earlier this year, MSE endorsed ten recommendations put forth by the Public Toilets Taskforce, including a Coffeeshop Toilet Renovation Grant and Coffeeshop Toilet Deep Cleaning Grant.  The Coffeeshop Toilet Renovation Grant supports operators in upgrading their toilet facilities for easier cleaning and maintenance, while the Coffeeshop Toilet Deep-Cleaning Grant provides support for regular deep cleaning to remove persistent stains and odours. With a $10 million budget, these grants aim to create positive examples of how good design, trained cleaners, and regular deep cleaning can significantly enhance toilet cleanliness.

The Coffeeshop Toilet Renovation Grant serves to support operators in upgrading their toilets through enhanced ventilation systems, sensor taps and 11 other mandatory design improvements. The Coffeeshop Toilet Deep Cleaning Grant will ensure consistently maintained facilities through fortnightly professional deep cleaning by licensed companies. Additionally, operators will receive proper training in cleaning practices and achieve Happy Toilet Programme certification, ensuring sustained quality standards. NEA will also conduct an on-site visit to ensure that the requirements are fulfilled before disbursing the grants.  We recognise that grants alone are not sufficient, and this balanced approach ensures that operators remain accountable for maintaining clean toilet facilities over the long term.

Beyond these grants, we also want to recognise coffeeshop operators who have taken the initiative to step up their standards. I would like to congratulate Broadway Coffeeshop on achieving the Happy Toilet Programme certification. Broadway has been one of the proactive coffeeshop chains that signed up for the Happy Toilet Programme, and their commitment has paid off remarkably. With eight coffeeshops in their chain, four of them were awarded the Best Happy Toilet awards! This outstanding accomplishment reflects your strong commitment to maintaining clean, hygienic, and customer-friendly facilities that complement your excellent food and service. I hope Broadway’s example will inspire coffeeshop owners to see that a great dining experience goes beyond delicious food. Together, we can make every coffeeshop in Singapore a place where good food and good hygiene go hand in hand.

Recognising Our Unsung Heroes

Broadway's achievement exemplifies the kind of excellence we see across different sectors. While we have a number of award recipients today, let me specially recognise a few outstanding examples.

Dr Simon Selvakumar is receiving the inaugural Outstanding Volunteer Award for his tireless advocacy for inclusive and accessible toilet facilities. He also champions the rights of vulnerable groups and toilet cleaners who often face stigma despite performing essential work.

The STAR awards celebrate schools that go above and beyond to maintain exceptional restroom standards for their students and teachers. To earn the Gold STAR recognition, schools must successfully complete three comprehensive projects: actively engaging students in cleanliness initiatives, implementing rigorous cleaner performance standards, and conducting thorough assessments of restroom design and functionality.

The prestigious Platinum STAR is reserved for schools that demonstrate sustained excellence by maintaining their Gold STAR status for three consecutive years, truly embodying a long-term commitment to hygiene excellence. I am heartened to note that we have a total of 6 Platinum STAR School award winners today! These schools are not just maintaining clean facilities, they are inculcating social responsibility in our next generation, teaching students that caring for shared spaces means putting "we" before "me". This exemplifies the "We First" spirit that our Prime Minister spoke about at the National Day Rally, where he emphasised that when each person does their part for the collective good by caring, contributing, and looking out for one another, everyone becomes stronger. Through their commitment to toilet cleanliness, these schools are building a generation that cares for each other rather than just their own self-interests.

The efforts of Broadway Coffeeshop, Dr Selvakumar and the six schools that have clinched the Platinum STAR award demonstrate that maintaining high toilet cleanliness standards is truly a community effort that spans across commercial establishments, schools, and individual volunteers.

Let us also recognise the dedicated individuals who make a difference every day in upkeeping public toilet cleanliness – our restroom attendants and cleaning staff. Their work may often go unseen but is essential to the hygiene of our public spaces. Their commitment ensures that everyone can enjoy a clean and pleasant restroom experience. I invite all of you to join me in a round of applause to express our deepest appreciation for their service.

Looking Ahead – A National Vision

Let me conclude. Clean toilets are not merely functional facilities. They demonstrate civic responsibility and the pride we take in our public spaces. Ultimately, public hygiene is a cornerstone of a gracious and caring society.

My vision is for every restroom in Singapore, whether in a coffeeshop, a shopping mall, a school, or a park, to meet the highest standards of cleanliness. With the collective efforts of all stakeholders, this vision can be achieved.

My warmest congratulations go to all our award recipients. I thank the Restroom Association (Singapore) for its tireless dedication to raising hygiene standards and for its leadership in the industry for this important national effort.