15-06-2025
Over 300kg of trash removed from Tunku Abdul Rahman Park
Volunteers posing for a group photo during the World Oceans Day – Underwater Cleanup 2025. – Photo courtesy of Robert Hartley, Sabah Dive Rangers.
KOTA KINABALU (June 15): More than 309 kilograms of trash were hauled from the sea during the World Oceans Day – Underwater Cleanup 2025, held on June 14 at Tunku Abdul Rahman Park.
The event was organised by the Marine Research Foundation (MRF), Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) and the Mariners Club of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), and involved over 30 volunteer divers who scoured the waters to remove a wide range of marine debris.
Among the items retrieved were plastic bottles, food wrappers, plastic cups, grocery bags, beverage cans, clothing, glass bottles, baby diapers, scuba masks, snorkels, and even a few unusual objects.
All collected waste was sorted and later transported to mainland Kota Kinabalu for proper disposal.
RCM (Sabah) Programme Manager Nadhirah Mohd Rifal explained that every piece of trash collected would be recorded to identify the types of waste polluting local waters. The data will be used to tailor awareness programmes aimed at educating the public on proper waste management to help protect Sabah's coral reefs.
Meanwhile, MRF Conservation Officer Chris Chun Xue shared that the organisation recently partnered with Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) to launch the Mobula-8 skimmer boat — an advanced marine waste collection vessel designed to remove floating plastic debris.
'Plastics and other waste materials in our oceans are severely damaging marine ecosystems and threatening biodiversity,' Chris said. 'This clean-up is a crucial reminder of the harmful impact human activity has on our marine life and natural environment.'
The World Oceans Day initiative was supported by the Oceanic Society, PADI AWARE Foundation, and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment, with additional assistance from Sabah Parks, DBKK and the Sabah Dive Rangers.
