Hiya Silverfox, those guys were just having fun.. don't worry about that, just do your introduction.
I agree with many things u said. Beaches and seas here are not as pristine as we would like it to be. In the first place waste management in these areas are not the best, but slowly and surely, the locals are being made aware of the need to protect the environment.
Another fact we should consider is that Peninsular Malaysia is located in the middle of one of the busiest shipping lanes, as well as the turning point of many ocean currents. For example during the monsoon season, the currents pushed flotsam from Indonesia, Philippines, and even South China and Vietnam to the South China Sea and directly to the East Coast. With higher waves pounding the beaches, these flotsam gets deposited high up the beaches. Ships plying the South China Sea are known to dispose of sludge in the seas, and these drifted to our waters. There is nothing the authorities could do to stop them. Being in rural areas, beaches were not raked in the morning, like what they do in Bondi and Manly beaches in Sydney. They use Bobcats to rake the beach of flotsam from the city, that's why they look beautiful and nice all the time.
In the West Coast, the affluents from urban waterways drifted out to sea, even when garbage booms are in operation in many rivers. The government spent millions of Ringgits, to make sure proper waste management are in place to counter this problem, but attitude is something we need to tackle. The large majority of locals are very much aware of the need to dispose of rubbish properly, but we are also saddled by Indonesians, Bangladeshis, Myanmarese, etc. who couldn't care less. Industries are continuously flouting laws and dumping untreated affluents into rivers and waterways.
Perhaps, we should start with ourselves. Don't just look and remark later, why don't we take action by reminding those who we witness throwing rubbish indiscriminately. Pick up trash whenever we encounter them and dispose them properly. Perhaps our action will instill some sense of awareness to the people around us.
