THE Penang government, through the Penang Green Council (PGC), will be organising a state-wide Penang World Cleanup Day 2023 on Sept 30.
PGC general manager Josephine Tan Mei Ling said the event is important to bring together people in Penang to actively participate in cleaning and preserving their local communities.
“While the World Cleanup Day falls on Sept 16, the actual physical cleanup for the Penang World Cleanup Day 2023 will take place on Sept 30, encompassing various locations on the island and mainland.
“Various non-governmental organisations (NGOs), social organisations and schools have enthusiastically joined the cleanup efforts previously.
“For this year, we are aiming to engage corporate sectors and industry players to come together and play their part in protecting Mother Earth.
“Through this event, we hope to also enhance awareness about Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) principles with the hope that more industries and corporate sector will embrace sustainability in the future,” Tan told a press conference in Komtar yesterday (Sept 14) to announce the upcoming Penang World Cleanup Day 2023.
Also present was state Housing and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Seri Sundarajoo Somu, who is also the PGC chairman.
According to Tan, PGC has identified a few coastal areas on Penang island and mainland for the Penang World Cleanup Day this year.
These locations include Karpal Singh Drive, Tanjung Bungah beach, Pulau Jerejak jetty, Teluk Kumbar and Robina Park.
“We choose coastal areas due to the significant impact of plastic pollution on marine life worldwide.
“Thus, it is vital for us to mitigate the problem caused by ocean debris and the threat that it poses to marine life,” said Tan.
She added that the cleanup is more than creating a beautiful shoreline, but also benefits the ocean ecosystem.
“Cleanups like these also allow us to gather new data about the state of our coasts and the types of trash that pollutes them. Many a time, these marine debris issues are not as simple to resolve as they involve transboundary litter too.
“Hence, managing local waste is very important to ensure that we ourselves are not contributing more waste into our marine ecosystem,” she said.
Tan also expressed her gratitude to all esteemed sponsors, namely Uniqlo Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Toray Industries (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Shan Poornam Metals Sdn Bhd, Eco Horizon Sdn Bhd, Jelutong Development Sdn Bhd, Motorola Solutions Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Penang Development Corporation (PDC), BSI Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd and SPIC International College for their gracious support and participation.
She also extended her appreciation to Penang Island City Council (MBPP) and Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) for their valuable partnership.
Sundarajoo commended PGC on its efforts in organising the Penang World Cleanup Day and thanked the partners and sponsors for their support.
“Action always speaks louder than words. We are looking forward to the cleanup day so we can make a difference through our actions!” he said.
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix by Alissala Thian