An awareness campaign to educate and encourage locals to keep Pangkor Island and adjoining Pulau Sembilan clean, crisp and green was successfully organised and executed by Perak Tourism recently.
The three-day event named, “My Perak Green and Clean Underwater and Island Clean-Up” was held on both the islands, as part of an initiative to prepare the state for the upcoming Visit Malaysia Year 2014 (VMY 2014). The name complemented Ministry of Tourism’s theme for VMY 2014, “1Malaysia Green Tourism, 1Malaysia Clean”.
Leading the campaign was Nolee Ashikin Dato’ Mohamad Radzi, the Executive Councillor for Health, Tourism and Culture. She officiated at the launching ceremony held at Teluk Nipah, a popular tourist destination on Pangkor Island.
The awareness campaign was divided into two phases. The first phase had two segments. One was an underwater clean up and the other an island clean up. “The underwater clean up incorporates the rehabilitation and replanting of corals around Pulau Lalang and Pulau Sembilan. This is being conducted by two diving companies. Thirty divers from Australia, USA, Germany and Malaysia are involved in clearing the waters around the islands of rubbish and debris,” Nolee told reporters.
The campaign saw the participation of over 300 students from local schools and institutes of higher learning, staff of a nearby resort and workers from the Manjung Municipal Council. “Besides the clean-up campaign, works to improve public toilets, signage, tourism police beats, rubbish collection and replanting of trees are on-going,” said Nolee.
A concerted effort in improving both the islands’ image and perception is necessary, as a prelude to VMY 2014.
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