656kg trash collected at Tg Aru
KOTA KINABALU: A total of 656 kilograms of trash were collected in a two-kilometre radius within a span of one hour during the first day of the Tanjung Aru Beach Festival - Beach Clean Up, yesterday.
The clean-up kick-started with a Zumba session by Zin RizalChubz and a short briefing by Trash Hero Borneo. “I believe if more people take the first step to refuse ‘plastic', they set an example that directly inspires others to follow,” said Monica Chin, co-founder of Trash Hero Borneo.
A total of 200 participants took part in the clean-up.
The beach clean-up marks the start of the Tanjung Aru Beach Festival, an initiative organised by Trash Hero Borneo, Sabah Tourism Board, and Sri Pelancongan Sabah together with Malaysia Airport Berhad, Kinabalu Pink Ribbon, ShangriLa's Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa, Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK), and volunteers from all around Kota Kinabalu City.
The Festival aims to support the ‘Free-Litter Sabah' programme, recently launched by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Mohd Shafie Apdal; as well as to encourage beach-goers in keeping Kota Kinabalu beaches clean.
Senior Airport Manager of Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), Sunif Naiman, who led the biggest turnout of 30 people from MAHB said, “Prince Phillip Park and Tanjung Aru is located very close to the airport. Our love for the beach is the reason why we are here today.”
“This is the first of such event organised by Sabah Tourism Board and Sri Pelancongan Sabah Sdn Bhd at Tanjung Aru. We're so happy to see the support from everyone today, including in-house guests from Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru
Resort & Spa”, said Suzaini Datuk Sabdin Ghani, General Manager of Sabah Tourism Board.