STATE NAMES NEW ORCHID AFTER MALAYSIAN QUEEN

KUCHING (Malaysia), July 28 (Bernama) -- East Malaysia state of Sarawak
Tuesday named a new and rare hybrid of orchid at its Orchid Park after the
Malaysian Queen Tuanku Nur Zahirah.

According to Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister's Department (Islamic
Affairs) Daud Abdul Rahman, it was Chief Minister 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 State
Governor, in conjunction with the 218th Meeting of the Royal Council here,
Tuesday.

During the visit, the Queen, accompanied by the wife of Sarawak Governor,
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 Sarawak Governor, 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 Norkiah visited the Abdul
Razak hall to view a collection of artifacts and the Clay Pottery, History and
Ceramics galleries.
-- BERNAMA