BESUT: Driven by a shared commitment to protect marine ecosystems in Malaysia, employee volunteers from Yayasan Sime Darby’s (YSD) donor companies took part in a conservation event at Perhentian Island.
Organised by YSD as part of its annual environmental volunteerism programme, the initiative was aimed at encouraging active participation in conservation work.
The programme led to the construction of five coral blocks, along with the removal of about 70kg of trash from Teluk Keke Beach and 14.5kg of litter from the reefs at D’Lagoon.
In an exclusive interview with theSun, YSD CEO Dr Yatela Zainal Abidin said this year, a special initiative was organised in which employee volunteers from Sime Darby Berhad, SD Guthrie Berhad and Sime Darby Property Berhad took part in turtle, coral and seagrass conservation efforts.
“This programme is part of YSD’s ongoing environmental volunteerism initiative, which allocates about RM300,000 annually to support employee volunteerism in conservation efforts.”
Yatela said this was YSD’s second marine conservation effort, with the first held at
Tioman Island.
She expressed hope that this type of initiative would continue yearly and inspire other organisations to support similar efforts.
“You can’t change your lifestyle without understanding the impact. But once you do, you feel empowered to make better choices.”
Yatela said YSD partnered with Fuze Ecoteer for two days of cleanups and marine conservation activities and many volunteers had the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the urgency to protect oceans.
Diver volunteer Rabiyatul Adawiyah Mohd Shamsuddin, 37, described the campaign site as beautiful. But like most dive sites today, it showed signs of stress.
“There were areas with damaged corals, and a diver who visited the site last year noted that it had visibly deteriorated since his last trip, which is quite concerning.
“Most of the waste we found were plastic, bottles, wrappers and straws. There were also fishing-related items such as buoys, as
well as footwear, glass bottles, fabric and cigarette butts.”
She said as a diver, she loves the underwater world and seeing the immediate impact of their efforts, including the process of separating and recording debris gives her a sense of purpose.
“It also makes us more aware of how our everyday actions could harm marine life, which in the end, comes back to affect us.”
Rabiyatul said awareness of ocean pollution in Malaysia is still lacking, especially on issues such as littering and the harmful habit of feeding marine animals.
“I hope to see more initiatives in schools, tourist areas and local communities to shift mindsets and habits such as introducing marine-focused clubs and making Marine Week an annual event (in Malaysia).
“Even small efforts could make a difference. Our lives and even the national economy are tied to the health of our oceans, so it deserves far more attention.”
Lai Yu Hung, 27, said the event was an
eye-opening experience that changed his perception of beach pollution.
“The ocean produces a large portion of the oxygen we breathe, yet awareness remains low. If no one takes action, it would only get worse. So, I took the first step.”
Lai said he was shocked by some of the items collected during the cleanup, including an old television and large plastic barrels buried in
the sand.
“Our coral reefs are deteriorating. Even small actions such as feeding fish with bread could trigger a chain reaction.
“The fish can’t digest the bread, so they stop feeding on the microorganisms that live on coral. When the coral dies, the ecosystem collapses and eventually, it affects all of us. The ocean takes care of us, we need to take care of it too.”
