BATU FERRINGHI, PENANG, 8 March 2016 – Some 100 students and staff from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) School of Biological Sciences recently braved the sweltering heat to clean up the beach in Penang’s Batu Ferringhi’s tourist belt.

Its Dean, Professor Dr. Amirul Al-Ashraf Abdullah, said this volunteer programme called “Bio Beach Cleanup” was aimed at raising awareness among the university students and the public on the importance of keeping the beach clean.

“We want the students to know that everyone is responsible for the cleanliness of the beach and the responsibilities should not be put only on the shoulders of the local authorities.

“The beach should always be kept clean so that it can continue to support the diverse flora and fauna as well as serves as an ecosystem for research and a tourist attraction,” added Amirul.

During the clean up exercise, flyers were also distributed to the public educating them on the importance of keeping the beach and natural surroundings clean.

USM Biology Society president Mohd Azri Faez Basri said he hoped that parents will educate their children to respect and become more responsible of the beach, by not littering.

The same view was shared by Project Director, Nor Shamiera Adanan, who further commented that dirty beaches will negatively affect the image of our country and tourists or visitors to Penang Island would stay away from the beaches.

Several students from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) also joined in the Bio Beach Cleanup which covered an area of 3 kilometres.

Translation: Tan Ewe Hoe

Text & Photos: Hafiz Meah Ghouse Meah