RAS Learning Pavilion at Libraries

After making its debut at the World Toilet Summit & Expo in December last year, the RAS Learning Pavilion – a roving exhibition on Singapore’s sanitation - reached out to the first library at the Pasir Ris Public Library from 5th to 30th April 2010. RAS also partnered with the NEA North East Regional Office (NERO) to showcase exhibits on recycling, anti-smoking and littering at the library. RAS also engaged the help of the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) to recruit student volunteers to man the exhibition and share good restroom etiquette tips such as proper hand-washing procedures to library patrons. Patrons were also asked to take our restroom surveys.

The pavilion reached out to the Sengkang Public Library in May, Jurong Regional Library in June and the last stop is the Bukit Merah Public Library in July. The pavilion is positioned as a platform to showcase the different facets of sanitation development in Singapore since the 1960s. It presents an enriching and educational journey for the visitors to understand the significance of sanitation and its social, cultural and environmental impact on the city of Singapore. It also traces Singapore’s economic development from Third World to First World.

[View Photos]

Restroom tour with Lianhe Zaobao (LHZB)

RAS was approached by a LHZB journalist who would like to write on a cover story about the restrooms in the new shopping malls along Orchard Road. On 19th March 2010, our President, Ms Tan, went on a restroom tour with the journalist and a photographer at three new shopping malls namely ION Orchard, Orchard Central and 313@Somerset. The group set off from the Orchard MRT station to their first stop at the ION Orchard before moving out to the Orchard Central and final stop at the 313@Somerset. During the tour, an evaulation was done on the various restroom facilities in each mall.

The story was published in the front page of ZB NOW on 7th April with Ms Tan commenting that the marked improvement in shopping mall toilets is a one-stop concept of hand-washing and drying i.e. users can wash their hands with hand soap and dry their hands without moving around. She also added that restroom signages should be prominent and this would also include signages leading to the restrooms. Of the three shopping malls, ION Orchard is rated best for its overall design and concept such as a dressing table for the ladies and well-groomed restroom cleaners who are service-orientated. Orchard Central is rated best for providing restroom facilities for the physically disabled while 313@somerset is rated best for baby-nursing facilities.

[Read Article]

Filming of Channel U’s “On the Beat”

After reading the LHZB’s special feature on the restroom tour along Orchard Road, a research writer from MediaCorp approached RAS to request for its appearance on the 5th series of “On The Beat”, a Channel U's most popular magazine-style infotainment programme hosted by Vivian Lai, Apple Hong, Lee Teng and Jeremy Chan. A segment of this programme features different restrooms in Singapore and our President’s comments on her observation of the local restroom culture. RAS was requested to help identify restrooms worth featuring, in terms of cleanliness, design and unique features. Restrooms identified included a 5-star restroom at a Market and Food Centre in Ang Mo Kio and two creatively-decorated restrooms at the Temasek Secondary School (TSS) that has participated in our school education programme.

The filming on 4th June commenced in the morning from the public and handicap restrooms of the Orchard Central shopping mall to the public and VIP restrooms at ION Orchard shopping mall. The interview session with our President was conducted in the restroom of the TSS in the afternoon before wrapping up the one-day filming at a coffeeshop in Tampines in the evening. “On the Beat 5” is slated to be featured every Tuesdays at 8pm from 29th June.

[More Details]