by Bernard Cheah
GEORGE TOWN (May 28, 2008): The Penang Floral Festival 2008 has been postponed to end of the year amid recent “clashes” between the state and federal governments over tourism promotions and funding in Penang.
State Tourism Development, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committees chairman Danny Law said the relevent parties, including federal government’s Penang Tourism Action Council (PTAC), were informed of the postponement late March.
The festival was initially scheduled to be held from last Sunday (May 25) to this Sunday (June 1).
Law told reporters today the festival had to be postponed to December because of the change in state government and the appointment of Botanic Gardens director Nor Wahida Hassan in January.
“We want to organise this properly and not just rush into it,” said Law, adding that there will be a mid-scale floral exhibition in August.
Nor Wahida said the annual floral festival had to be postponed as “we were too preoccupied with the Penang World Music Festival 2008 (May 2 to 4) which was staged in gardens”.
“This year’s exhibition will entail more preparations as it will be staged in a bigger scale. We will be inviting participants from Asia, including Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines,” she said.
PTAC chairman Datuk Kee Phaik Cheen, when contacted, said there should be a good reason or explanation if any event in the tourism calender is to be cancelled or postponed.
However, the information on their website (http://www.tourismpenang.gov.my/) was not updated on the postponement of the event.
“There should be some damage control by the state government,” she said, adding that flora enthusiasts should not be saddened as the Golden Anniversary Orchid Show and Sale is showing now.
Organised by the Federation of Malaya Orchid Society (FOMOS), the event in the Arena Horticulture Centre car park on Jalan Kebun Bunga, Penang ends on Sunday.
FOMOS president Shamas Mohd Sofi was aware of the postponement of the festival and decided to take advantage of the postponement to hold the orchid show which is participated by 37 stalls.
via sun2surf.com