IN THE spirit of environmental stewardship, a group of volunteers led by the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of SJK (T) Mak Mandin organised a beach clean-up programme along Pantai Bersih, Butterworth, Penang.
The event was held in conjunction with World Earth Day and the school’s 50th anniversary.
The school’s PTA chairman T. Poovaneswaran said they had managed to gather 110 people comprising parents, teachers, members of non-governmental associations (NGOs) and the wider community for the event.
He said the beach clean-up was also organised with assistance from the office of state environment committee chairman Datuk Seri Sundarajoo Somu.
“This is the first time the school has organised such an event as a mark of commitment towards preserving the environment.
“This initiative also highlights the profound impact community engagement can have on fostering sustainability,” he said.
Poovaneswaran said the participants managed to collect a total of 193kg of rubbish in two hours along the 10.5km coastline.
“We plan to organise the event again next year and turn it into an annual affair,” he said.
“Hopefully, other schools can follow suit so the natural environment can be safeguarded,” he added.
Also present were Bagan Jermal assemblyman Chee Yeeh Keen and the school headmaster N. Gunasekaran.
Chee, who commended the school PTA’s effort said, “A programme like this is a shared responsibility of many people and is good for preserving our planet’s resources.”
He said the impact of such an initiative could be extended far beyond the immediate clean-up efforts.
Awareness built from the event would serve as a catalyst for ongoing environmental advocacy among the community, he added.
Chee emphasised that a polluted sea would disturb the ocean ecosystem and affect an important source of protein for humans.
