Wednesday, February 10, 2010

July 28, 2009 17:19 PM

Sarawak Names New Orchid After Queen

KUCHING, July 28 (Bernama) - Sarawak on Tuesday named a new and rare hybrid of orchid at its Orchid Park after the Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah.

According to Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister's Department (Islamic Affairs) Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman, it was Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud who that proposed the new hybrid be named Dendrobium Tuanku Nur Zahirah.

"This is the most memorable moment for us at the Orchid Park," he said during a briefing on the visit of Tuanku Nur Zahirah and the wife of the Yang Dipertua Negeri, in conjunction with the 218th Meeting of the Royal Council here, today.

During the visit, the Queen, accompanied by the wife of the Yang Dipertua Negeri Sarawak, Toh Puan Norkiah, toured the 6.2-hectare Orchid Park at Jalan Istana, Petra Jaya.

Sarawak has previously named two orchids after renowned figures that have contributed to the beauty and greenery of Kuching City.

Dendrobium Laila was named after Abdul Taib's late wife, Laila Taib while the Normah Orchid was named after the wife of the late Yang Dipertua Negeri Sarawak, Tun Abdul Rahman Yakub, and was later made into the official flower of Sarawak.

The Orchid Park, developed at a cost of RM8.97 million, showcases orchids from a plethora of colours and hybrids, with species ranging from epiphytic to terrestrial.

The main attraction of the park, which houses a collection of 40,000 orchids from 65 genera, is the Borneo Orchids which are known for its stunning flowers and its potential to be turned into a horticultural plant.

Among Borneo Orchids available at the park are the Lady's Slippers (Paphiophyllum Stonei and P.Lowii), Coelogyne Pandurata, Bulbophyllum Beccarii, Vanda Dearei and Phallaenopsis Violacea.

The Queen also visited the Sarawak Museum which has the best collection of artifacts from Asia and is the second oldest museum in the country, the oldest being the Taiping Museum in Perak.

While there, Tuanku Nur Zahirah, accompanied by Toh Puan Norkiah visited the Tun Abdul Razak hall to view a collection of artifacts and the Clay Pottery, History and Ceramics galleries.

The Raja Permaisuri Agong also attended a tea reception.

-- BERNAMA

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