KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has the potential to be the orchid centre of the world if proper efforts are put in place, said Assistant State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Pang Yuk Ming. He lamented that Kota Kinabalu International Airport could not showcase Sabah's beautiful orchids unlike the Borneo and other fabulous live orchid species and tropical plants that greet millions of visitors at Singapore's Changi International Airport."In Singapore, they take pride in even bringing nature into their airport. However, not much can be said for Malaysian airports.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Kota Kinabalu International Airport is a beautiful building but very cold. We pride ourselves as being an eco-tourism destination but when tourists land they see nothing of the sort," he said, and called on Malaysia Airports Bhd (MAB) to work with the Borneo Orchid Society to allocate a place to set up a garden within the premises to showcase some of the beauty of Sabah at the airport."This could be part of their corporate social responsibility and MAB should also work together with the Government to promote this sort of thing," he said.
"We have not begun to exploit the wonders and the potential of the orchids in Sabah. Even it being the so-called paradise of orchids with the high number of species, there is still not much done to exploit it in terms of tourism," he said, when opening the Borneo International Orchid Show 2014 at Kota Kinabalu Community Centre, Friday."Although this event is still considerably small, I believe it has the potential to be bigger thus making Sabah a potential orchid centre.
ADVERTISEMENT
"The association should work with the Tourism Board and Agriculture Department to see how to expand and explore a show like this to be a bigger centre of attraction."The orchid show organised by the Borneo Orchid Society is to showcase the many species in Borneo. Participants from Brunei joined the many different competitions to showcase their orchids.
ADVERTISEMENT
Among the competitions held was for the Best Hybrid, Best Malaysian Species and Best Plant of the Show. There were over 62 classes of orchids showcased in the event.Pang said although deforestation and land conversions may reduce the number, there is still no deep danger to the existing species."We are blessed that the government has classified over 50 per cent of landmass to be reserved in Sabah, Mount Kinabalu Park being one of it. So, it still is not in any serious danger of extinction but we will still give due attention to it."The Orchidaceae is the largest family of flowering plants in the world with roughly 25, 000 named species. Mount Kinabalu Park has 1,300 species or 66 per cent of the 1,700 species found in Borneo alone. Also part of the exhibition is the iconic, Paphiopedilum rothschildianum, which is also the State Orchid of Sabah and the hybrid, Phalaenopsis amabilis, the city flower for Kota Kinabalu.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Pang was confident that the exhibition, which soon would be a yearly event, would grow into a major event in Sabah."I am confident that under the watchful eyes and leadership of the association's president, Dato' Seri Dr Tengku Zainal Adlin, this event will grow bigger and soon be marked under the Sabah Tourism calendar yearly."