Saturday July 4, 2009

Bigger crowd expected at Floria

By GEETHA KRISHNAN

PUTRAJAYA is gearing up for another record-breaking event.

In 2007, a massive crowd of 300,000 thronged the Putrajaya Flower & Garden Festival, popularly known as Floria Putrajaya, setting a record in the Malaysia Book of Records for the biggest flower show organised in the country. Visitors to this year’s event are expected to top the number.

Pretty: Raja Nong Chik (left) admiring the orchid plant presented to him. On the right is Samsudin.

Floria 2009 will take place from Aug 1 to 9 at the Waterfront in Precinct 2.

At the soft launch on Tuesday, Federal Territories Minister Senator Raja Datuk Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin said he hoped events like Floria would help to liven up the atmosphere in Putrajaya beyond office hours and during weekends and public holidays.

“The biennial event is meaningful because it runs parallel with the whole concept of Putrajaya developed to combine modern elements with the environment. It fits Putrajaya’s image as a city in a park and as a floral city,” he added.

Themed “Celebration of Colours”, Floria 2009 will feature more than 400,000 flowers and showcase gardens while offering opportunities for local authorities, NGOs, corporate partners, retailers and individuals to showcase their creativity and products.

Perbadanan Putrajaya (PPj) is the organiser and the event is supported by the Federal Territories Ministry.

PPj president Tan Sri Samsudin Osman said the emphasis for flower display was on orchids from Malaysia and abroad.

“Herb gardens are a new addition to this year’s event. We expect all the booths to be snapped up soon and expect the participation of 20 schools in Putrajaya,” he added.

For more information, visit www.ppj.gov.my.