TELUK BAHANG, PENANG, 11 June 2026 – Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), through its Geophysics Programme at the School of Physics, in collaboration with the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) Penang Office, successfully organised a Marine Weather Literacy Programme involving more than 20 tour boat operators, tourist guides and Jabatan Perhilitan from Penang National Park.
Held at the Conference Room of the Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies (CEMACS), Teluk Bahang, the programme formed part of a Service-Learning Malaysia – University for Society (SULAM) initiative integrated into the Synoptic Meteorology course for third-year Geophysics students. The programme aimed to improve participants’ understanding of marine weather information and its application in supporting safer tourism boat operations.
The programme was supported by MetMalaysia Penang, represented by its Director, Amirzudi Hashim, together with Meteorological Officers Arina Huzaifah Mokter and Nabil Rosli. Prior to the workshop, USM students developed a series of training modules focusing on the use of the Windy and Tide Forecast applications for interpreting marine weather conditions, including rainfall, wind, wave and tidal forecasts.
To ensure the content was accurate and suitable for operational use, the modules were reviewed by MetMalaysia officers who provided technical feedback and recommendations. The students subsequently refined the materials before delivering them to the community participants.
“Besides learning meteorological concepts, students gained practical experience in designing training modules, engaging with industry professionals, receiving expert reviews and translating scientific knowledge into real-world applications for the community,” said Dr. Syarawi, leader for this project.
Throughout the programme, participants attended hands-on sessions on weather interpretation using the Windy and Tide Forecast applications. The training focused on practical skills that could be directly applied to daily tourism boat operations and decision-making. Participants also had the opportunity to visit CEMACS facilities and take part in a boat excursion around Penang National Park and Pantai Kerachut, linking the workshop content with real environmental conditions.
Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, with many highlighting the practicality and usefulness of the training for their daily operations. Certificates of participation were presented to all attendees at the end of the programme.
The programme demonstrates the value of collaboration between USM, MetMalaysia and the local community in strengthening marine weather literacy while providing students with meaningful experiential learning opportunities through the SULAM framework.
