Partnership brings Blue Santa Malaysia’s technology-enabled environmental initiative to the Miss Malaysia Indian Global Pageant, beginning with a Merdeka beach cleanup in Penang
PENANG, MALAYSIA – 29 August 2026 – Brewspark Technologies Group and MMI Care, organiser of the Miss Malaysia Indian Global Pageant, have formalised a partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote environmental awareness, community participation and measurable sustainability action through the Blue Santa Malaysia initiative.
The partnership was marked by an MoU signing session attended by representatives from Brewspark Technologies Group, MMI Care, the Centre for Marine & Coastal Studies (CEMACS), Majlis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang (MBPP) and the Consulate General of Japan in Penang.
As an immediate initiative under the collaboration, contestants of the Miss Malaysia Indian Global Pageant donned Blue Santa hats and took part in a Merdeka beach cleanup at Teluk Bahang, Penang, turning their pageant platform into an opportunity for direct environmental action.
14 Contestants Collect More Than 10kg of Waste
The 14 contestants were given one hour to clean a 250-metre stretch of beach in front of Angsana Hotel Teluk Bahang, the venue sponsor for the event.
Under the guidance of scientific collaborator CEMACS, Centre for Marine & Coastal Studies, the contestants collected more than 10kg of waste, including more than 300 pieces of cigarette butts and food wrappers, almost 90 plastic bags, as well as plastic bottles, caps, cups, cutlery, straws, styrofoam and other waste measuring less than 2.5cm.
The waste was subsequently segregated into recyclable and general waste, with the data entered into Blue Santa Malaysia’s proprietary digital platform.
The platform generates compliance-ready reports in accordance with CEMACS’ International Ocean Trash Data, MBPP municipal waste disposal data, Bursa Malaysia’s National Sustainability Reporting Framework (NSRF), and ISRF sustainability and climate-related financial reporting standards.
Malaysia’s First and Only In-Time Waste Data Input System
Blue Santa Malaysia’s platform is Malaysia’s first and only in-time waste data input system, enabling participants to take on a dual role as eco-warriors and citizen scientists.
Rather than treating cleanups as isolated volunteer activities, Blue Santa combines physical waste collection with digital tracking and gamification, creating a system where environmental contributions can be recorded, measured and followed over time.
The initiative was launched in Malaysia on 27 June 2026 and is inspired by conservation efforts in Japan. It combines grassroots cleanup activities across beaches, rivers and coastal ecosystems with digital tracking and gamification to encourage measurable and sustained environmental participation.
Signing Ceremony
Front row: (L) Sir Dr Kazuki Foo – Group CEO of Brewspark
Technology Group, (R) Ms Melissa – Treasurer MMIG
Second Row From Left to Right: Ms
Jessica Lee – Group COO Brewspark, Professor Madya Dr Mahadi Bin Mohammad,
Director of CEMACS, Mr Machida Shinya – Consul General of Japan, and Miss Eco Beauty
2025
Beauty with a Purpose
The MoU between Brewspark Technologies Group and MMI Care will support further joint efforts to encourage members of the public and organisations to become Blue Santas.
The partnership will also see two eventual winners of the Miss Malaysia Indian Global Pageant which is the Miss Eco Beauty and Miss Malaysia Indian to become Blue Santa Ambassadors during their reign. The pageant finals will be held on 24 October 2026 in Kuala Lumpur.
Through this collaboration, the pageant provides its contestants and titleholders with a platform to participate directly in environmental initiatives, while Blue Santa Malaysia gains an opportunity to engage a wider community through a recognised public platform.
From Merdeka to the World
The Merdeka Clean Up marks the beginning of a month-long cleanup campaign extending beyond the coast as part of World Clean Up Month in September.
Blue Santa Malaysia and its Penang co-lead, MBPP, are opening the initiative to companies, schools, organisations and individuals to participate in longer-term environmental efforts.
The nationwide campaign will culminate in national awards on 27 December 2026.
Blue Santa’s technology platform incorporates data-verified cleanup logs, waste categorisation, photographic evidence and GPS coordinates. Participants can also earn experience points, badges and rank advancements, while public leaderboards track contributions.
Building Partnerships for Sustainable Communities
The collaboration brings together the technology sector, pageantry, scientific research, local government and community participation to create a more measurable approach to environmental action.
For Angsana Hotel Teluk Bahang, the programme is also seen as a potential boost to its existing sustainability and sustainable tourism efforts.
The partnership demonstrates how environmental initiatives can move beyond conventional one-off cleanups by combining community participation with technology, data collection and long-term engagement.
About Blue Santa Malaysia
Blue Santa Malaysia is a community-driven, technology-enabled environmental initiative inspired by conservation efforts in Japan and dedicated to combating marine pollution across Malaysia.
Launched on 27 June 2026, Blue Santa combines grassroots cleanup activities spanning beaches, rivers and coastal ecosystems with digital tracking and gamification to mobilise volunteers and create measurable environmental impact.
The programme aims to transform rubbish collection and waste segregation into a nationwide movement that is sustainable, engaging and scalable, with meaningful and measurable environmental, educational and policy benefits.
Programme Lead: Brewspark Technologies Group
Penang Co-Lead: MBPP
Collaborators: CEMACS-USM APEX; Penang Green Council
Partner: MMI Care
For more information:
Blue Santa Malaysia
This press release has also been published on VRITIMES
