By Olivia Miwil
KOTA KINABALU: A group of medical doctors opted to spend their public holiday today contributing to society through an underwater cleanup.
Among them was Dr Shafiq, 42, who has been diving for about 10 months and wants to help keep the underwater environment clean.
"I wish that when I dive, the coral life and ecosystem would be beautiful. That is why I wanted to contribute to keeping the marine parks around Kota Kinabalu clean.
"A cleaner environment would also make me feel more at ease while diving," said the medical doctor from Kuala Lumpur, who has been staying in Sabah for more than a decade.
Another medical doctor, Dr Jagatish, said he took up diving last year after being posted to Sabah.
He described diving as a form of meditation that required him to focus on his breathing and remain mindful of his surroundings.
"I find diving is like a kind of meditation, like you just focus on inhaling and exhaling.
"There are no external factors affecting you in the water, inside the water. Just see the sea creatures around you and be mindful of the dangerous water spots," he said.
The duo were among 24 scuba divers and members of Sabah Dive Squad Club who took part in the cleanup organised in conjunction with Malaysia Day.
The group collected 110kg of marine debris from the waters off Mari Mari Sepanggar Island, including ghost nets and other discarded fishing-related materials.
Club president Sim Fui said the initiative was intended to mark Malaysia Day through community action while highlighting the importance of protecting the country's marine heritage.
"Malaysia Day is not only about celebrating who we are as Malaysians, but also about taking responsibility for the country we share. Our seas, islands and marine ecosystems are part of that heritage.
"We hope this cleanup will remind people that protecting our oceans is a shared responsibility.
"Reducing our reliance on single-use plastics is one simple step that everyone can take," he said in a statement.
Sim said the underwater cleanup complemented efforts to keep beaches and coastal areas clean, stressing that rubbish found underwater was often connected to waste generated on land.
"What we see underwater is a reminder that our actions on land can eventually affect the sea. Beach cleanups and underwater cleanups are connected because preventing waste from entering our waterways is the best form of marine conservation," he said.
He said the club hoped the Malaysia Day initiative would encourage more Malaysians to take greater ownership of their natural environment and contribute to its protection through simple, consistent actions.
Sim also thanked the Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry for supporting the event.
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