4 days ago
Together for Tanjung Aru
Alumni in action: Dr Chan (second row, fifth from right) and Chuah (far left) with other participants at the beach clean-up.
COLLECTIVE effort often has the power to drive causes further.
This was evident in a recent beach clean-up organised by alumni members of IMU University.
Dubbed the #Offline16 campaign, the initiative – designed to encourage participants to disconnect from digital devices and reconnect with nature and their community – resulted in the collection of more than 130kg of rubbish along 2km of Tanjung Aru Beach in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, in just two hours.
Held on the morning of June 28, the clean-up – conducted in collaboration with iCare Pharmacy, VitaHealth and the Meraki Daat Initiative – saw over 30 alumni members, partners and volunteers collecting 133.55kg of waste, contributing to the preservation of Kota Kinabalu's iconic coastline.
Common non-biodegradable items found included plastic bags and bottles, cigarette butts, and hard plastic materials.
The clean-up was a key highlight of the IMU Alumni Great Getaway 2025, an event from June 27 to 28 that brought together the varsity's alumni from across Malaysia for a weekend of reconnection, cultural exchange and purposeful engagement.
IMU Alumni Association (2025/26) president Dr Paul Chan said the alumni are proud to give back.
'Beyond the scenic backdrop and joyful gatherings, this weekend was a powerful reminder of the impact we can make when we come together with intention.
'Through partnerships like this, we are building a culture of service and sustainability,' he said in a press release.
Alumnus Chuah Chong Ee, who is also iCare Group of Pharmacies founder and managing director, added that the event created meaningful interactions among the alumni and brought them closer to the environment.
The IMU Alumni Great Getaway 2025 marked a growing commitment by the alumni to lead in corporate social responsibility and community impact, the press release noted.
The collaboration with partners stands as a model for how alumni networks can mobilise to drive meaningful change in the communities they care about, it added.
