Terengganu, Malaysia – Berjaya Hotels & Resorts has took the plunge alongside with dive teams and non-divers to safe the beauty of the underwater marine world through the recent Redang Island Clean-up Day (RICD) on 23 till 25 October 2009 at Berjaya Redang Resort. The annual Redang Island Clean-up Day has tied along with PADI and Scuba Symphony made the event a success by strengthening the conservation of the underworld and educating people the importance of coral reefs to the ecosystems. The 3-day event has given another lift to the ecosystem, helping the Mother Nature for a better living.

“We are taking this opportunity to prove to people that by gathering many hands around can change the current state of our ecosystems. Also, with these hands we are able to conserve the ecosystem and improve it to a better state,” said Peggy Tan, Group Director of Berjaya Hotels & Resorts. 

Joanne Marston, Asia Pacific Manager of Project AWARE has also stated, “Project AWARE is pleased to support Berjaya Hotels & Resorts for Redang Island Clean-up Day event.  Better data means better decision making.  Most divers and volunteers recognize the importance of data collection to drive positive change for our oceans. But there is more that we can do.   We urge all divers to take the plunge and enter data into the Global Marine Debris Index.”

Added Johnny Chew, PADI Asia Pacific Regional Manager, “Berjaya Hotel & Resorts has been strong supporter of Project AWARE cleanups and activities.  We’re delighted to have them on board this year and be involved in this exciting conservation event.”

110 divers including a team of Singapore divers and 29 non-divers have joined hands to make the event a successful social responsible. The team of enthusiast divers managed to remove 580 Crown-of-Thorns, breaking its’ last year’s RICD record - 442 Crown-of-Thorns. 12 plastics, 10 plastic bags, 20 cigarette butts and 5 beverage cans were collected during the beach clean-up by non-divers. The underwater clean-up covered most of the island’s favourite dive spots, which includes, Berjaya Redang Resort House Reef, Mak Simpang, Teluk Dalam Besar, Tanjung Tokong, Blue Ring, Bahagia Wreck, Southern Run, Northern Run, Kerengga Kecil, and Kerengga Besar.

As teams of diver were busy diving under water to collect Crown-of-Thorns from the seabed, non-divers were occupied with land activities like beach clean-up, Nature Walk, beach Tele-matches and Tug-of-War. Photography Contest was one of the main highlight during the event, as the prizes consist of 3 days 2 nights at Berjaya Redang Resort and Berjaya Tioman Resort inclusive of Berjaya Air’s air tickets, 2 units Epoque Japan 230 underwater camera worth RM1,245.00 each sponsored by Scuba Symphony and meal vouchers by Kenny Rogers. Upon arriving at Berjaya Redang Resort, participants were greeted with goodies bags which have lifted the divers’ spirit, as there were diving mask strap, bandana, RICD car stickers, towels, 7-Eleven’s vouchers and more.

Besides that, ‘Underwater Conservation Seminar’ by PADI Project AWARE and ‘Underwater Photography Seminar’ by Scuba Symphony were held during the event. PADI Project AWARE representative, Mr. Johnny Chew led the seminar, educating participant the ways of conserving marine life and maintaining the cleanliness of the beach and underwater. Divers also picked up several underwater photography tips through the ‘Underwater Photography Seminar’, giving amateur photographer an idea of skillful underwater photography.

The event has undoubtedly given a positive vibe to the divers and non-divers. The faces of excitement shown on each diver have evidently revealed their passion in preserving the Mother Nature. As one diver quipped, “Diving in the calm sea surrounded by brilliant colourful creatures is what I call life.”

Berjaya Hotels & Resorts promises nature-lovers another Clean-up Day event at Berjaya Tioman Resort around March 2010. Log on to Berjaya Hotels & Resorts website www.berjayahotel.com for more up-coming events and best holiday rates.

For reservations or travel enquiries, please contact Berjaya Hotels & Resorts Reservations Office Kuala Lumpur (Tel: + 6 03 2149 1861) of Email: sales@hr.berjaya.com.my or visit www.berjayahotel.com

About Berjaya Hotels & Resorts
Berjaya Hotels & Resorts is a member of the Berjaya Corporation Group of Companies, a public listed Malaysian conglomerate. Presently, the group manages Berjaya properties in Malaysia, Asia Pacific and UK. From the exotic island resorts of Tioman, Langkawi and Redang to the cities of Kuala Lumpur and Penang to the highlands of Berjaya Hills, Berjaya Hotels & Resorts’ prominence in Malaysia is further enhanced by the establishment of international hotels and resorts in Singapore, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and London. As a premier hospitality group, Berjaya Hotels & Resorts also owns and operates a commercial airline, service suites and exclusive golf & country clubs in Malaysia. Visit online at www.berjayahotel.com for more information.

About Berjaya Redang Resort – Malaysia
Nestled on the award-winning Redang Island, off the east coast of peninsular Malaysia, the 188-room Berjaya Redang Resort offers a combination of Malay architectural-styled chalets and exclusive premier and oceanfront suites in a tropical island paradise complemented with powder white sandy beaches, clear turquoise blue waters and home to an underwater kingdom. The resort has a certified 5-star PADI Gold Palm Instructor Development Centre that offers an array of dive courses and dive trips. Sea activities include snorkelling, round island trip and fish feeding at the Marine Park. For a pampering spa retreat, the Ayura Spa set in a tranquil tropical setting offers a host of rejuvenating treatments. The island is served by ferries from the Malaysian mainland, and daily direct flights by Berjaya Air from Singapore (Seletar Airport) and Kuala Lumpur (Subang Airport) in less than 90 minutes.

About PADI Project AWARE
In 1989, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) developed the AWARE philosophy - Aquatic World Awareness, Responsibility and Education - to stress divers' roles in conserving the environment and create a group of effective environmental advocates. Project AWARE Foundation is the dive industry's leading non-profit environmental organization having its international presence in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Switzerland and Japan. The mission of Project AWARE Foundation includes conserves underwater environments through education, advocacy and action from 175 countries around the world. Visit online at www.projectaware.org for more information.

For more details on this press release, please contact Berjaya Hotels & Resorts Corporate Office:
Camelia Yim - Assistant Manager, Marketing & Communications
Tel: +6 03 2149 1921 or Email: cameliayim@hr.berjaya.com.my