20th Anniversary Celebrations

We celebrated our 20th Anniversary on the 16th of July this year, with a simple tree-planting ceremony at the Botanic Gardens.

On hand to do the honours were Dato' Seri Chia Kwang Chye, a pioneer member and one of the first presidents of the Society, the Pengarah of the Jabatan Taman Botani, En. Ahmad Azwa Shah bin Ahmad, our incumbent President, Tengku Idaura bte Tengku Ibrahim, our current Vice-President, Dr. Liew Kon Wui, and pioneer members Dato' Dr. Leong Yueh Kwong (his membership number is Number 1!) as well as Mr. Kanda Kumar from the Malaysia Nature Society, who is also a pioneer of our society.

Pioneer members of the society were all invited and there was a good turn out of current, past and pioneeer members for the event, which began with a tram and van ride from the Jabatan Taman Botani office complex courtesy of the Pengarah. At the tree-planting venues, the members were joined by all the staff of the JTB who had been involved in the event for a commemorative group photograph.

After the ceremony, everybody adjourned to the Seminar Room at the Jabatan Taman Botani office complex for refreshments and to catch up on fond memories. Dato' Dr. Leong and Tengku Idaura (herself a pioneer member) recalled the early struggles and the triumphs of the society during the preceding decades. Dr. Liew gave a brief presentation about sustainable biodiversity in Penang and the society's efforts to maintain it. A slideshow with photographs of the many events, activities and programmes in which the society participated or hosted over the last twenty years concluded the presentations for the day.

Members and other attendees were presented with souvenir bags generously sponsored by the Jabatan Taman Botani and commemorative tea cloths handprinted with local plants by the society's art and crafts group before refreshments, which included a giant-sized vegetarian fruit cake baked and donated by Datin Prabawathy Rajah, a long-standing and highly respected member of the society.

The event concluded at 12 noon, everyone having enjoyed the lovely food and wonderful memories recalled by the day's events.