MALAYSIA'S GARDENS ARE LATEST TOURISM PRODUCTS

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 31 (Bernama) -- The Tourism Ministry plans to promote
Malaysia's gardens as the country's latest tourist attraction and tourism
product globally beginning next year.

Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen told a press conference here today
that she plans to promote Malaysia's gardens, flora and fauna and was recruiting
garden designers and garden tourist guides as well as coming up with garden tour
packages overseas.

"We have identified Kuala Lumpur Lake Gardens, Putrajaya, Titiwangsa Lake
Gardens, Fraser's Hill, Shah Alam, Taiping Lake Gardens, the Penang Botanical
and Spice Gardens, the Botanical Garden and 1,000 Flower Park in Perlis as
our first garden tourism destinations.

"Our gardens have never been structured as a tourism product and yet
overseas, there are garden tourism packages. This is our first phase and we will
continue our development. I have instructed our tourism directors worldwide to
identify tour opreators dealing with garden and park tourism," said Ng.

To ensure feasibility of the project, Ng brought in three world renowned
garden designers namely Jane Huntley and Gilbert Vahe from the stunning Monet
Garden in Paris and Jekka McVicar, one of the world's foremost authorities on
garden designs.

"I have just been stunned by the plants I've seen, its absolutely fantastic.
I have had many magical moments here especially when the Minister (Ng) told us
to listen to the natural chorus of the jungle of the forest in Fraser's Hill.

"What you've got here in Fraser's Hill, Penang Hill, and Melaka where you
can walk in a forest where you have nature on your doorstep. They (tourists)
will just be so absolutely, gobsmacked from the sheer impact of the plants,"
McVicar said.

As part of the promotion programme, Tourism Malaysia will take part in
the 2010 Chelsea Flower Show in the United Kingdom, a prestigious and important
competition and event in the world of gardens and gardening.

The ministry was identifying a Malaysian garden designer who had won
international competitions to help the government design a garden at the show.

"We call on Malaysians with a passion for gardening to help us become garden
tourist guides and someone who has won an international gardening competition to
help us in designing our garden for the Chelsea Flower Show," Ng said.

-- BERNAMA