IPOH: Nearly 100 tonnes of garbage that were washed ashore by the high tide phenomenon at three beaches in Manjung and Pangkor island have been cleared.
Perak tourism committee chairman Loh Sze Yee said about 29 tonnes were collected at the Teluk Batik beach in Lumut, while about 69 tonnes came from the Teluk Nipah and Pasir Bogak beaches on Pangkor island.
Loh said the garbage that got washed up to the beaches included tree branches, twigs, bottles and plastic containers.
"The Manjung Municipal Council has received a lot of complaints about the garbage.
"Efforts to clear away the garbage that was washed ashore by the high tide phenomenon on Pangkor is still ongoing," he said in a press conference during a visit to the Teluk Batik beach on Monday (Dec 18).
"The phenomenon occurs annually but the amount of rubbish that got washed ashore was unprecedented and shocking.
"It is a critical issue that could mar the image of the beaches and also may be a safety concern to visitors," he said, adding that the phenomenon started on Dec 9.
Municipal council secretary Mohd Helmi Arifin said the clean-up works at the three beaches had incurred a cost of about RM100,000.
Mohd Helmi said the clean-up works were conducted on a large scale and had involved a lot of people.
"We have already planned some proposals to request for aid from the state government, including a yearly allocation to enhance our preparations to face the phenomenon as a long term measure," he said.
"For the short term measure, we request a one-off aid for the immediate clean-up work at the beaches on Pangkor," he added.
