KUALA LUMPUR: The Toilet of The Year Award (TOTYA) will be institutionalised as an annual national event to foster greater civic awareness in maintaining the cleanliness of public toilets.

Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said the initiative had received the Cabinet’s endorsement.

Now in its third year, the competition offers a total cash prize of RM160,000, with the top winner in each category receiving RM20,000.

“This year, TOTYA will feature eight categories: local authorities (PBT), rest and service areas (R&R), hotels, restaurants, shopping centres, schools, food courts, and places of worship,” Nga told reporters following the Sentuhan Kasih Ramadan Bersama Media programme here yesterday.

Also present at the event were Bernama Editor-in-Chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj, Sinar Harian Group Editor-in-Chief Zamri Rambli, and RTM Current Affairs Deputy News Director Md Shahri Saripan.

Nga announced that the deadline for TOTYA participation is April 30.

He also highlighted that, through a collaboration between KPKT and the Ministry of Education, about 12,000 public toilets, including over 8,000 in schools, have been upgraded with a budget of nearly RM900 million. This effort aims to instil a culture of cleanliness from a young age.

In line with Visit Malaysia Year 2026, the ministry has allocated RM4 million to construct four six-star smart toilets at selected tourist destinations – Dataran Masjid Putrajaya, Dataran Flora in Putrajaya, Jalan Alor, and Jalan Petaling in the capital city.