Sabah school adopts ‘BMW’ toilet concept for a pleasant environment
KOTA KINABALU: Sekolah Menengah (SM) Maktab Sabah here has adopted the ‘BMW’ concept – Bersih (clean), Menarik (attractive) and Wangi (fragrant) – to ensure their renovated toilets provide a more pleasant environment for its student population.
The restroom transformation includes bright-coloured tiles complemented by improved lighting and good ventilation, adorned with picture frames and decorative plants. The fresh scent of potpourri enhances the overall ambience, creating an inviting atmosphere.
Form 5 student Hidayatul Hazwani Haidir said the upgraded school toilets have facilities that are more comfortable for use compared to their previous state, which had damaged toilet pumps, broken doors, and inadequate water flow.
“These toilets are much better now. They are cleaner, brighter and very comfortable. All the facilities can be used, and the pleasant fragrance makes students more enthusiastic about maintaining toilet cleanliness,” she told Bernama.
Ahyar Ikhtisyam Mohd Zuki, 17, believes that a clean school toilet environment can foster discipline among students and encourage them to always practice a responsible attitude in using the facilities available.
“It motivates students to care for these renovated toilets, and the likelihood of toilet damage is very low. Students will be enthusiastic about going to school if there are clean toilets,” he said, likening the school toilets to a ‘hotel restroom’.
Another student, Nur Haszarratul Heezwin Hamka, 17, expressed her hope that fellow students would not only value but also responsibly maintain the upgraded toilets so that they could benefit everyone in the school.
SM Maktab Sabah acting principal Samsiah Almalek emphasised that the cleanliness of the toilets is essential as it reflects the image and attitude of over 1,400 students at the school.
Meanwhile, student affairs senior assistant Zunaidah Zakarian said the school utilised the federal government allocation of RM70,000 to start the toilet renovation works in September last year, which was completed about four weeks later.
Hui Ying Ying, a teacher overseeing school cleanliness, said they provide a cleaning schedule and forms to record any toilet damage.
She said this approach was to ensure the toilets are wellmaintained, besides advising students to be courteous when using the renovated, completed and beautiful facilities.
For SM Maktab Sabah Parent-Teacher Association president Mohammad Arif Tun Sakaran said the government’s effort to allocate funds for school toilet renovations was a commendable initiative because clean toilets can encourage students to come to school.
Meanwhile, senior principal assistant director of the Infrastructure and Procurement Sector, Sabah Education Department, Zamlee Sabanah, said they expect the school toilet renovation works throughout the state to be fully completed by the end of this month.
He said that 80 per cent of schools had completed the renovation works, while the remaining 20 per cent are still in the final stages, especially those in rural areas.
“In Sabah, there are 1,100 school toilets, of which 603 are maintained by the Sabah Education Department, while the remaining 497 are managed by the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) of the Prime Minister’s Department.
“On average, one school receives about RM70,000, and schools in rural areas receive up to RM100,000 for toilet (renovation). The school community welcomes such allocations, especially dilapidated schools,” he said.
The minor maintenance project of renovating toilets for 8,354 schools with an allocation of RM630.77 million started in mid-July last year, in line with the aspirations of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who aims for clean and safe toilet facilities for the comfort of over five million students and 409,161 teachers in the country.