On 26 July 2026, more than 1,600 people walked into a mangrove forest at Port Klang. They came out with 5,350kg of rubbish.
The Selangor Maritime Gateway (SMG) Mega Mangrove Cleanup 2026 was organised by Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd (LLSB), the master developer of SMG. The Malaysia Book of Records recognised it for the largest participation in a single mangrove forest clean-up programme.
What happened on the day
The clean-up took place at Mangrove Point in the Raja Lumu Permanent Forest Reserve. Its theme was "Restoring Ecosystems, Renewing Futures".
Alongside the waste collection, volunteers planted 1,000 mangrove saplings. The event was held in conjunction with World Mangrove Day and Selangor's International Day of Forests celebration.
Tengku Datin Paduka Setia Tengku Zatashah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah officiated. The Selangor Forestry Department and the Royal City Council of Klang were partners.
Where the rubbish comes from
Bernama's report included a telling detail. The waste was mostly old: plastic bottles and bags, glass bottles, aluminium cans and styrofoam containers.
Most of it had drifted down the Klang River and was trapped in the mangroves when the tide went out. So the forest is paying for what happens upstream.
One day, backed by years of work
A record makes a good headline, but the longer count matters more. LLSB managing director Syaiful Azmen Nordin said the company ran 60 clean-up programmes under SMG between 2023 and January 2026. Together they removed 45,877kg of waste.
Datuk Izham Hashim, who chairs Selangor's infrastructure and agriculture committee, said restoring the Klang River needs more than physical infrastructure. Clean-ups like this one are part of the state's ESG agenda.
LLSB also used the event to launch a new corporate identity built around sustainability.
Why mangroves, and why volunteers
Mangroves protect coastlines and shelter wildlife. They can't do either when they're choked with plastic.
Large volunteer days also change how people see a place. Someone who has pulled a bottle out of the mud is less likely to drop one.
The same hands-on approach featured in AmanahRaya's island clean-up and turtle hatchling release in Mersing. And like TNB's long-running Ceria Ke Sekolah programme, the value here comes from coming back year after year. For a different kind of volunteering, see how Sunway Group's staff spent an evening with elderly residents in Johor Bahru.
Frequently asked questions
What was the SMG Mega Mangrove Cleanup 2026?
A large-scale mangrove clean-up and replanting event at Port Klang on 26 July 2026, organised by Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd.
How much waste was collected?
5,350kg on the day. More than 1,600 participants also planted 1,000 mangrove saplings.
What record did the event set?
The Malaysia Book of Records recognised it for the largest participation in a single mangrove forest clean-up programme.
Sources
Bernama: "SMG Mega Clean-up Collects Over Five Tonnes Of Waste, Plants 1,000 Mangroves", 26 July 2026.