By Anne Das
Students and lecturers from Universiti Kuala Lumpur Royal College of Medicine Perak (UniKL RCMP) took their community service to the Perak coastline in early May. Held in the spirit of World Oceans Day 2026, the initiative was linked to this year’s theme, “REIMAGINE: Beyond the world we know, a new relationship with our ocean.”
The group joined the effort at the Segari Turtle Conservation and Information Centre, located at Pasir Panjang Beach in Manjung. There, participants came into direct contact with the work involved in caring for turtles and the fragile coastal environment that supports them.
The initiative was organised by the Faculty of Pharmacy and Health Sciences of UniKL RCMP. It involved Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Technology lecturers and members of the Pharmaceutical Technology Students Society.
It was carried out in collaboration with the Perak State Department of Fisheries and Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Institute of Marine Engineering Technology (UniKL MIMET).
Activities began with cleaning the turtle pools at the centre. Participants then continued with a beach clean-up along the nearby shoreline.
For the students, the experience offered a break from classroom learning. It gave them the opportunity to take part in hands-on environmental work while understanding the care needed to protect coastal habitats.
During the beach clean-up, volunteers walked along the shoreline collecting visible waste. Items collected included plastics, bottles, Styrofoam boxes and food wrappers.
These everyday items may appear small when seen on land. Once they enter the sea, they can pose serious risks to turtles and other marine animals.
Plastic and solid waste can harm sea life through ingestion or entanglement. Clean-up efforts help reduce the amount of rubbish reaching the ocean, while creating greater awareness of how human habits affect coastal ecosystems.
For Perak, the message is especially relevant. The state’s coastline is part of our natural heritage, and places such as Pasir Panjang Beach remind us that environmental care begins close to home.
The activity also encouraged younger participants to build a stronger connection with wildlife. By helping to clean the turtle pools and surrounding beach area, they were able to see environmental responsibility as something active, meaningful and shared.
Beyond the university’s initiative, the day also showed how educational institutions can help shape young people who are more aware of community needs and the natural world around them.
For the public, the reminder is urgent and practical. Turtle conservation begins on the beach, with what people choose to leave behind or take away. Every bottle, wrapper and piece of plastic kept out of the sea matters.
Protecting marine life begins with small choices, and those choices belong to everyone.
