AdminCommunities from Tioman Island and the mainland came together in Kampung Mukut for Reef Check Malaysia’s (RCM) annual Kod Blue: Laut Needs You (Kod Blue) event, combining a beach cleanup with an underwater effort to remove marine debris and Crown-of-Thorns starfish (COTs).
The 2026 event brought together 51 participants, including local residents, volunteers, representatives from the Department of Fisheries and Malaysia Civil Defence Force, as well as RCM ambassador Baki Zainal.
Together, participants removed 410.06kg of marine debris from the coastline and surrounding waters, while 26 COTs were also removed during the underwater cleanup.
“The Kod Blue event is meant to bring all of our communities together, whether they are from the island or mainland, the public, organisations or government agencies, for a day of beach and underwater cleanup,” said Shahir Yaman, RCM’s Programme Manager based in Tioman.
“We want to remove the disconnect of thinking that marine debris is only one person’s problem, when it is all our responsibility,” he added.
Kampung Mukut welcomes visitors through cleanup
Kod Blue moves to a different village in Tioman each year, allowing participants to engage with local communities while visiting different parts of the island. This year’s event was held in Kampung Mukut, known for its Dragon Horns, or Gunung Nenek Semukut.
For the village community, the event provided an opportunity to welcome visitors and participate in activities in different ways.
“Thank you for choosing Kampung Mukut for Kod Blue 2026. I am grateful for everyone here today that has come to help clean the beach and ocean at our kampung,” said Kampung Mukut village head Afli bin Abd Karim.
“Even though we live on the island, not all of us can dive and are able to do the underwater cleanup,” he added.
The event also included a pasar malam-style food market, where local residents sold a range of food and drinks to visitors and participants.
Local vendor Siti Ansyathirah, who sold fresh lemonade, said the event provided both environmental and economic benefits for the community.
“I am deeply moved to see everyone coming to our kampung for the Kod Blue 2026 event. This event not only helps us locals to generate extra income through the food market, but also raises awareness about the importance of protecting our environment,” she said.
Divers take part in COT removal
The underwater cleanup also gave participants an opportunity to learn about COTs, coral-eating starfish that can cause significant damage to coral reefs when their populations reach outbreak levels.
For some participants, removing the starfish was a new experience.
“It’s a very new experience for all of us. We have always wanted to learn more about coral reefs and to help nature. Now that we know it’s a yearly event, we’ll definitely come back,” said underwater cleanup participant Hariharan Rao.
Another participant, Nur Afiqah, said the activity provided an opportunity to learn more about marine conservation.
“It is a different experience and also a meaningful one,” she said.
Kod Blue 2026 was supported by SC Johnson, Hydro Flask Malaysia and Migalabs Solution, which are long-term supporters of RCM.
The event was held in conjunction with the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), a nationwide campaign coordinated by RCM that mobilises volunteers for beach cleanups throughout September.
Through the combination of environmental activities and the local food market, the event brought together residents, visitors, volunteers and government representatives to participate in different aspects of marine conservation and community engagement.
Jimmy Tan
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