Interactive Map Brings Insight into Malaysia’s Coral Reef Health

KUALA LUMPUR, 21 SEPTEMBER 2021 – Reef Check Malaysia, an NGO working towards sustainable management of coral reefs in Malaysia, hosted a “reduce waste from home” campaign from 23 August to 19 September called #ICCfromHome in an effort to raise awareness on the problem of marine debris in conjunction with International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day.

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a worldwide surge in demand for personal protect equipment (PPE) such as face masks, gloves, and gowns. With the number of new cases in Malaysia, the need to put on face masks by the public will just have to be prolonged. In addition, the increasing convenience of food delivery services has prompted the rise in the use of single-use plastic and food packaging.

*Trash picked up on Pantai Teluk Nipah, Perak on ICC Day 2020*

Theresa Ng, Programme Development Manager at Reef Check Malaysia said: “We need to know about the environmental impact of the waste we are generating. What gives us protection and convenience in our day-to-day lives, such as face masks or delivery food packaging, can in turn become a health hazard and harm our environment if disposed irresponsibly.”

The #ICCfromHome virtual campaign addressed marine debris pollution and provided simple weekly challenges and solutions on how Malaysians can prevent waste from entering our ocean even from home. The weekly challenges include knowing what goes in our bins, no single-use plastic bags, fighting food waste, and segregating at source. The campaign has garnered the attention from at least 17,660 individuals in Malaysia and has also encouraged companies like Malaysian Recycling Alliance Berhad, DKSH Malaysia, TechnipFMC, and ABB Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. to participate in the weekly challenges prepared.

Theresa continued, “The pandemic has changed so much in how we do things and how we live our lives. We could not organize and clean up our local beaches as how we used to do over the past 3 years, but still, we are amazed with the genuine engagements from the community and the support we have received from our sponsors in the virtual ICC campaign.” A quick glance on the challenges taken on by the community can be found here.

The #ICCfromHome campaign was also made possible by sponsors who supported the effort including Malaysian Recycling Alliance, DKSH Group, Famous Amos, Morgan Home Appliances, and Us for Ocean.

“Waste Segregation at Source (SAS) is the key to cleaner coastal areas,” said Pauline Goh, General Manager of MAREA, “We’re glad to have helped in spreading awareness on how to practice SAS at home. We hope that participants will continue this practice and spread the idea to their circle of influence even after the ICC campaign.”

As part of the #ICCfromHome campaign, weekly prizes sponsored by DKSH such as RM30 Famous Amos vouchers were awarded to 12 winners and a grand prize of the Morgan 3-blade circulation fan was awarded to Alyssa Ng.

Nicholas McLaren, Head, Country Management, DKSH Malaysia said: “At DKSH, we take responsibility for our environmental impact as part of the company’s sustainability strategies. At our workplaces, we have eliminated single-use plastic water bottles and provided facilities for waste-sorting and e-waste recycling. Through #ICCfromHome, we hope to advocate responsible waste management in the homes as well. Climate change is a mammoth environmental challenge best tackled with collaborative efforts among responsible organizations. We are proud to support Reef Check Malaysia in this campaign to protect the beaches and oceans of Malaysia, which is home to a rich diversity of marine life and coral reefs.”

Theresa adds on, “The #ICCfromHome campaign might officially be over, but we hope it has and will continue to lead the way for Malaysians in the effort of reducing waste and preventing more trash from entering our environment.”

If you would like to encourage your community or family to take on some of the activities, all #ICCfromHome resources is made available to the public on Reef Check Malaysia’s Facebook and Instagram page and you may contact Reef Check Malaysia at wecare@reefcheck.org.my for more details.

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About Reef Check Malaysia

Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) is part of the world-wide Reef Check network. Registered in Malaysia in 2007 as an NGO, RCM’s early work was focused on coral reef monitoring and island based educational programs. Today, RCM monitors over 200 coral reefs annually around the country and runs resilience-based programmes for island communities. In addition, RCM is actively involved in marine debris awareness, waste management, and plastic recycling programmes and has been leading the annual International Coastal Cleanup event in Malaysia. You can access RCM’s ICC 2020 Report here. Find out more about Reef Check Malaysia’s work at www.reefcheck.org.my or follow them on Facebook or Instagram.

About MAREA

MAREA, also known as the Malaysian Recycling Alliance, was established in January 2021 as an industry-led, pioneering initiative towards circular economy. Our goals will primarily revolve around enhancing collection, promoting the use of recycled and renewable materials as well as minimising post-consumer packaging leakage into the environment.

MAREA was founded by 10 like-minded initial FMCG companies that are taking the lead in EPR in Malaysia. The alliance currently comprises: Coca-Cola Malaysia, Colgate-Palmolive Malaysia, Dutch Lady Milk Industries, Etika Group of Companies, Fraser & Neave Holdings Bhd, Mondelēz International Malaysia, Nestlé Malaysia, Spritzer, Tetra Pak Malaysia and Unilever Malaysia.

With a clear mandate in hand, MAREA is committed to collaborating with the Malaysian Government and other stakeholders including consumers, waste collectors, recyclers and industry players to drive the singular goal of a greener Malaysia through circular economy solutions.

About DKSH

DKSH’s purpose is to enrich people’s lives. For more than 150 years, we have been delivering growth for companies in Asia and beyond across our Business Units Healthcare, Consumer Goods, Performance Materials and Technology. As a leading Market Expansion Services provider, we offer sourcing, market insights, marketing and sales, eCommerce, distribution and logistics as well as after-sales services. Listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, DKSH operates in 36 markets with 32,450 specialists, generating net sales of CHF 10.7 billion in 2020. www.dksh.com

KUALA LUMPUR, 18 OCTOBER 2024 – 8,569 volunteers from all around Malaysia collected 41,015kg of trash during the annual International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) event in September 2024.

Among 388,730 items collected, the most common item found was plastic bottles at 50,785 bottles. The second and third most common items were cigarette butts at 39,584 pieces and plastic/foam pieces at 38,801 pieces.

Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) coordinates the nationwide ICC in Malaysia every year since 2018. Organizations, groups and individuals collect data during the cleanup and key in data into the Clean Swell app to contribute to the global database of cleanups by Ocean Conservancy.

Tengku Zatashah, Princess Beach Cleanup in action

Y.A.M Tengku Zatashah binti Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, the princess of Selangor, who is also fondly known as ‘Princess Beach Cleanup’, also participated in this year’s ICC. “The International Coastal Cleanup is an event I look forward to every year since 2017. Participating in beach cleanups allows us to see the problem firsthand and take action to address it. I encourage everyone to do their part in keeping our oceans clean.” commented Tengku Zatashah who joined the ICC at Pantai Morib Baharu in Selangor this year.

Proud volunteers of Hapag-Lloyd Business Services Malaysia that cleaned up Pantai Batu 23

This year’s ICC was supported by Hapag-Llyod Business Services Malaysia and KPMG Malaysia. Hapag-Llyod Business Services Malaysia’s volunteers cleaned Pantai Batu 23 for ICC and collected 54.75 kg of trash. KPMG Malaysia chose to clean Pantai Remis, Kuala Selangor and collected 126.61kg of trash.

Coastal Cleanup is an event I look forward to every year since 2017. Participating in beach cleanups allows us to see the problem firsthand and take action to address it. I encourage everyone to do their part in keeping our oceans clean.” commented Tengku Zatashah who joined the ICC at Pantai Morib Baharu in Selangor this year.

KPMG volunteers cleared 126.61kg of trash from Pantai Remis

Reef Check Malaysia also held their Kod Blue: Laut Needs You event as part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC). Volunteers for Kod Blue 2024 which happened on 7 September at Kampung Air Batang, Tioman Island, collected 757.7kg of trash from the beach cleanup and 50.8kg of trash from the underwater cleanup. The underwater cleanup team also removed 62 coral predators, the Crown-of-Thorns starfish (COT).

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All Kod Blue 2024 volunteers before the cleanups

“The objective of the event is to spread awareness about the issue of marine debris while bringing together the general public and the local community of Tioman Island,” said Theresa Ng, Chief Operating Officer of Reef Check Malaysia. “Kod Blue is an homage to the term used to mean ’emergency’ in the medical field, and ‘blue’ is also a nod to the ocean.”

The second event in the series featured a conservation talk by Reef Check Malaysia’s Chief Programmes Officer, Alvin Chelliah, a special ‘Action Camera Underwater Videography’ workshop by Reef Check Malaysia’s ambassador, Baki Zainal, a beach and underwater cleanup, a ‘Pasar Malam Mesra Alam’ offering local delicacies from the Tioman Island community, a glass crusher and coral block workshop, and a movie night.

Volunteers segregated trash according to types

The event was supported by sponsors including Migalabs, Diamond & Platinum, REEF, Bose, Sol Sauce Sunscreen, Akkord Scents, Nautika Scuba Centre, B&J Diving Centre, Small Towns Malaysia, Ryan’s Special Needs Care Centre, Garmin Malaysia, Cowa, MobyTek, and Nazri’s Place.

“We are grateful for our sponsors for their generous sponsorship and support for Kod Blue 2024.” commented Theresa.

“We also would like to thank our ambassadors, Sharifah Sofia and Baki Zainal, all of our volunteers including representatives from Tioman Development Authority, Department of Fisheries (DOF), Alam Flora, SWCORP ROMPIN, PERHILITAN Department, Tioman Police, SMK Tekek (Nature Lovers Club), and Malaysia Civil Defence Force for participating in our cleanup effort.” added Theresa.

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A TMCG member who supported our cleanup weighed all trash collected

Every year, millions of tons of trash—including an estimated 11 million metric tons of plastic waste—flows into the ocean, impacting more than 800 marine species and even entering the food chain.

“When I first heard about Kod Blue 2024, I was excited, and I think it is a good chance to be part of conservation work with experts in the field. It was not easy to make time for this event, but I am very happy I did. I get to meet like-minded people, and I enjoy every second of the activities. I have a lot of takeaways from this event” commented Yvonne Jong, one of the underwater participants of Kod Blue 2024.

For more information on Reef Check Malaysia, you may visit them on their website, Facebook and Instagram or contact them at hello@reefcheck.org.my.

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