In a recent dialogue at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Singapore must try hard to avoid having the Government be the sole solution to all problems (S’pore must be rigorous in helping those not catching up: PM Lee, Nov 9).

This call to action is particularly pertinent in addressing the dirty state of public toilets in hawker centres and coffee shops (Public toilets as dirty as in 2020 or dirtier now, Nov 10).

Despite regular surveys by the Singapore Management University highlighting the issue of cleanliness in public toilets, little progress has been made since 2016. The National Environment Agency’s Clean Toilet Campaign has unfortunately fallen short of expectations.

The Federation of Merchants’ Association Singapore, representing merchants and hawkers, and coffee shop owners have not taken decisive action to tackle this longstanding issue.

As Singaporeans, we must break free from the expectation that the Government is the sole solution provider and take ownership of problems affecting our daily lives.

The Government should empower the public to lead the charge in finding effective solutions for dirty public toilets.

By taking charge of initiatives related to cleanliness, supported by the Government’s guidance, we can collectively resolve this issue and start a new era in community-driven problem-solving.

The Government’s decades-long effort in projecting Singapore as a clean and green Garden City needs to be embraced by its citizens.

We should collectively develop a clean toilet culture, taking pride in our shared vision and actively contributing to its realisation.

Liu Fook Thim