A youth-led river cleanup at Sungai Kayu Ara Retention Pond in Kg Chempaka, Bandar Utama, removed 548.9kg of waste, giving students a first-hand look at how much rubbish can collect in urban waterways.
Haresh Suri (far left) and Sebastian Yew (far right) were among the student volunteers who participated in Belia on Sungai 2026, helping to remove a total of 548.9kg of waste from Sungai Kayu Ara Retention Pond.
Held on 6 June 2026, Belia on Sungai 2026 brought together more than 100 students from universities and colleges across Selangor and the Klang Valley. The river conservation initiative involved Penggerak Belia Selangor, the Bandar Utama State Assembly Office, Petaling Jaya City Council, and local community leaders working together to clear waste from the retention pond and raise awareness of urban river conservation.
Petaling Jaya City Council supported waste management efforts, while PlastX Prints, a startup that collects used plastics and turns them into material for 3D printing, introduced participants to how selected plastic waste can be repurposed.
Participants with YB Gobind Singh Deo, Minister of Digital and Member of Parliament for Damansara, and YB Jamaliah Jamaluddin, Selangor State Executive Councillor for Public Health and Environment and Bandar Utama State Assemblywoman.
Among those who took part were students from INTI International College Subang, including Haresh Suri, President of the 50th INTI Student Representative Council, known as INTIMA. For Haresh, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Computer Science in collaboration with Coventry University, UK, the programme was his first experience participating in a community cleanup initiative.
“It’s easy to throw something away and forget about it,” he said. “Standing in the retention pond and seeing how much waste had accumulated made me realise it doesn’t just disappear. It ends up somewhere, and our environment pays the price.”
For Haresh, the experience turned an issue often discussed in classrooms, campaigns, and news reports into something visible and immediate.
“It definitely opens your eyes, but it also brings you down to earth,” he added. “You start to understand that our everyday actions have consequences, and we all have a responsibility to be more mindful about how we treat the environment.”
The programme added a friendly challenge to the cleanup, with participants divided into teams and encouraged to collect as much waste as possible. By the end of the event, volunteers had removed 548.9kg of waste from the retention pond.
The event also gave the students the opportunity to work with peers from different institutions and see how river conservation requires coordination between youth groups, local authorities, environmental advocates, and community partners.
Among those helping to drive the initiative was Sebastian Yew, a third-year Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Mass Communications student in collaboration with the University of Hertfordshire, UK. As a member of Penggerak Belia Selangor and part of the organising team, Sebastian saw the programme as a form of learning that could not be replicated through lectures or assignments alone.
“I think these programmes force you to answer a question a lot of us avoid: who are you beyond the classroom, and what do you actually care about regarding your community in Malaysia?” he said.
For Sebastian, being involved on the ground allowed students to see how their areas of study could connect with real community needs.
“When you’re out in the field with organisations like PeBS or other non-governmental organisations, your area of study stops being abstract. You start seeing where it connects to real problems. That’s a different kind of learning,” he explained. “Beyond the academic angle, there’s something about awareness that only comes from showing up.”
Sebastian’s interest in sustainability and community engagement began during his time as Vice President of the 48th INTIMA at INTI Subang, where he was inspired by mentors from INTI’s Student Services department and the institution’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
INTI students prepare for the river cleanup by gearing up with wetsuits and safety equipment before entering the river.
That experience later led him to organise Learn to Be SUS 2024, a student-led sustainability initiative that connected INTI students with organisations such as Kloth Malaysia and Verdant Solar. He credits these opportunities with helping him develop the communication, leadership, and stakeholder engagement skills that continue to shape his involvement in community-based initiatives.
Student volunteers worked in teams to collect waste from Sungai Kayu Ara, contributing to a total of 548.9kg removed during Belia on Sungai 2026.
The collaboration with Petaling Jaya City Council and PlastX Prints also showed students what happens after waste is collected, from proper waste management to the repurposing of selected plastics into 3D printing materials.
The programme was attended by YB Gobind Singh Deo, Minister of Digital and Member of Parliament for Damansara, and YB Jamaliah Jamaluddin, Selangor State Executive Councillor for Public Health and Environment and Bandar Utama State Assemblywoman.
Speaking at the event, YB Jamaliah said the initiative was not merely about cleaning a river, but about building greater environmental awareness and responsibility among young people through direct action.