BAYAN LEPAS, 23 May 2026 – The Beach Clean-Up Activity 2026 returned to Pantai Teluk Bayu in Teluk Kumbar, Penang.

Carrying the theme “Clean, Care, Contribute”, the programme aimed to raise greater awareness among participants regarding proper waste disposal practices at the beach.

The event was successfully organised by the Committee of Industry and Community Network & Alumni of the Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang, in collaboration with the Environment Protection Education (EPE) Hub & Green Ambassadors of the Centre for Global Sustainability Studies (CGSS) and the Penang King’s Scout Association.

The activity involved participation from students, staff, industry representatives, and members of the local community outside USM. A total of 47 USM students and staff participated, along with 17 scout members, sponsors, alumni, guests and several staff family members. Staff from the Jabatan Perkhidmatan Perbandaran (JPP) of the Majlis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang (MBPP) were also present to ensure the programme ran smoothly and safely.

The programme commenced at 7.00 a.m. and concluded at approximately 12.00 p.m. Two USM buses were provided to transport participants and programme materials to the venue.

Starting off, a Zumba session led by invited guests was held before the beach clean-up began. Then onwards to the clean-up activity, where for this year, participants successfully collected 91 kg of waste, exhibiting the tangible environmental impact of the activity.

The activity also served as a valuable platform to strengthen networking and collaboration among individuals from universities, industry and the local community, while enabling INFORMM members and alumni to remain connected.

This programme contributed towards several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land).

Text & Photo: Associate Professor Dr. Khoo Boon Yin, Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), USM/Editing: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin, Media and Public Relations Centre (MPRC), USM