Stricter rules to protect orchids

Sept 26, 2015 Saturday

By Olivia Miwil
olivia@nst.com.my

KOTA KINABALU: The state government will continue to impose stricter rules to conserve rare orchids.

State Culture, Tourism and Environment minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said some species were endangered due to over-collection in the past and loss of habitat.

"Native orchid species are not easy to grow as they need shady and cooler temperatures and many die in the hot lowlands and in the cities. Hence all wild orchids are now protected by the law," he said during the launching of Borneo International Orchid Show 2015 here yesterday.

He also added Sabah Wildlife Department and Sabah Biodiversity Centre were in force to ban export and control the sale of wild orchids.

Masidi also acknowledged there had been cases which visitors had smuggled wild orchids while visiting the forest reserves.

Among measures taken include to note down visitors' particulars to prevent them from stealing orchids.

Earlier, Masidi described the three-day orchids exhibition as an educational and awareness programme for the public.

The exhibition showcases orchids species from here, Singapore, Taiwan, Korea and New Zealand.
 

In Sabah, there are about 1,300 orchid species with 870 of them available at Kinabalu park.

He said the abundance wild orchids available in Sabah could serve as tourism products especially to visitors from Japanese and Taiwan who love flowers.

Present were Sabah Parks chairman cum Borneo Orchid Society Sabah president Datuk Seri Tengku Zainal Adlin and city Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir.