Bright and colourful neon lights illuminating the grounds of HLN 2024 as the sun sets. — Photos courtesy of National Landscape Department
THOUSANDS of visitors flocked to the popular National Landscape Day 2024 (HLN 2024), which was held to raise awareness of landscaping and its importance to people’s well-being.
The annual event was also aimed at improving the quality of the country’s landscape development, by creating appreciation and attracting interest in the field.
Visitors capturing a photo with the Kuala Selangor Municipal Council mascot.
This is in line with the government’s aspiration to make Malaysia “the most beautiful park country”.
The 10-day event at Taman Tasik Shah Alam in Section 14, Shah Alam in Selangor, was organised by Housing and Local Government Ministry in cooperation with the National Landscape Department and Shah Alam City Council (MBSA).
It included activities such as mural drawing competitions, cooking demonstrations, sculpture building using recyclable materials, floral design competition and industry dialogue panel discussions.
HLN 2024 was held for the 25th time, since it was first introduced in 1998.
Some of the booths featured interesting displays and information boards to educate visitors.
This year’s event, which had just wrapped up, was themed “Landscape Industry Drives Madani Development”.
The event highlighted the importance and potential of the industry, which includes construction sub-sectors, especially landscape services, manufacturing, plant materials, and retailing landscape products for domestic and export market trade purposes as one of the sources of national economic generation.
In conjunction with the event, the Rosa Sinensis Award and several other awards were presented to government agencies and private companies in recognition of their efforts to uplift the country’s landscaping industry.
The Rosa Sinensis Award, in particular, is a recognition for local authorities that manage public parks and green spaces through comprehensive planning and development.
Thousands of visitors flocked to HLN 2024 over the 10 days that it was held.
In his speech during the opening ceremony, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP) was RM1.79tril in 2022, of which the landscaping industry contributed RM29.7bil or 1.7%.
The National Landscape Department said the aim was to increase the percentage to 3% within 10 years.
HLN 2024 featured a total of 105 booths by government agencies, non-governmental organisations as well as landscape industry-related vendors set up across the spacious park grounds.
The Agriculture Department had also distributed 2,000 free tree saplings to the public during the entire exhibition.
Visitors who came at night were able to experience a different yet vibrant atmosphere, with the event grounds and displays lit up with colourful neon lights and a 45-minute musical light show at Taman Tasik Shah Alam.
More photos
Mohd Azlan Mohd Radzali from the selangor Fire and Rescue Department (left) demonstrating the right way to handle snakes.
Visitors capturing photos at one of the eye-catching floral displays.
Visitors admiring creative floral displays and booths set up by government agencies and landscape industry-related vendors.
The booth by MBSA features a lot of orchids, as the city is also dubbed ‘Orchid City’ (Bandaraya Anggerik).
A visitor trying out the zipline activity spanning part of Taman Tasik Shah Alam. —Kamarul Ariffin/The Star
Colourful neon lights at the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) booth.
