- December 22, 2017 @ 8:00am
SANDAKAN: A band of rock climbing enthusiasts took time off to clean up the shores of Pulau Berhala here recently.
The group picked up rubbish, mainly plastic waste, for two hours, loaded them on boats and disposed of it.
The Sandakan Climbing Recreation Club and Future Alam Borneo Society took the noble efforts to organise the clean-up campaign.
Ismael Salan, who led the effort said the group, hoped to increase public awareness of the importance of keeping the island clean and preserving the environment.
“Recreational and outdoor activities are a core selling point for the island to attract the visitors,” said Ismael.
Some 250kg of trash picked up during the clean-up, which showed more efforts were needed to restore the beauty of the island.
“We need to change the mindset of people who dispose of rubbish, especially plastic waste, into the sea,” he added.
Before World War II, the island was used as a quarantine station for workers from China and the Philippines, and was also home to a leper colony.
Nowadays, locals and tourists come to the island for sightseeing and recreational activities.
After the clean-up, the group hiked through the forest reserve and up to the peak of the island.
They also climbed the limestone face of the island, as well as swam and sailed on stand-up paddle boards.
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