Queen graces Borneo Flora Festival
LABUAN (July 26): The inaugural Borneo Flora Festival (BFF) 2025 drew a massive crowd of thousands eager to experience the vibrant showcase of tropical flora on Saturday.
Held at the International Sea Sports Complex, the event, themed 'Borneo Tropical Flora', runs from 8 am to midnight for five days, until July 30.
Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia, graced and officiated at the event.
Present were the wife of the Sarawak Yang Dipertua Negeri, Toh Puan Fauziah Mohd Sanusi; Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa; Federal Territories Department director-general Datuk Seri Noridah Abdul Rahim; Kuala Lumpur City Hall Mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif and Labuan Corporation chief executive officer Mohd Sukuran Taib.
A total of 31 exhibitors are participating in the festival, including those from Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Kalimantan, showcasing 12,000 ornamental plants with hundreds of tropical flower species from across the country.
Exhibitors include the Sabah Parks Board of Trustees, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK), and local communities such as the Labuan Women Farmers Association and higher learning institutions.
Free transport is provided at five pick-up points, while on-site facilities include a surau, information centre and food truck stalls.
Over 1,000 volunteers wearing 'Ask Me' badges are available to assist visitors attending the event.
The Queen arrived here on Saturday for a two-day official visit, her second to Malaysia's international business and financial centre.
She was welcomed by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa, Labuan MP Datuk Dr Suhaili Abd Rahman and Federal Territories Department director-general Datuk Seri Noridah Abdul Rahim, upon her arrival at the Labuan Airport at 11.27 am.
Also present were Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Labuan Corporation chief executive officer Mohd Sukuran Taib and Labuan Police chief Supt Mohd Hamizi Halim.
Her Majesty is accompanied by the Tunku Temenggong of Johor, Tunku Idris Iskandar Sultan Ibrahim.
On Sunday, Her Majesty will open the Labuan Handicraft Gallery.
Dr Zaliha said the inaugural event is more than just a vibrant showcase of tropical blooms and landscape artistry.
It is part of a broader strategy under the MADANI Government's reform agenda to realign Labuan's development priorities and steer the island towards a more inclusive and sustainable economic future.
Dr Zaliha said that the festival was designed not merely to add to Labuan's event calendar, but to serve as a catalyst for diversification and socioeconomic revitalisation.
'Labuan recorded a gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of RM87,000 in 2024, the second highest in Malaysia…however, as I've often reiterated, this economic figure does not reflect the lived experiences of the people.
'The island's economic reliance on the oil and gas sector has waned compared to 10 to 15 years ago,' she said.
Dr Zaliha said as part of the government's reformist approach, Labuan's development focus has been recalibrated and the outcome is already evident; Labuan's GDP per capita grew by 5.4 per cent in 2024, outpacing the national average.
The island also recorded over one million visitors last year, a 15.7 per cent increase from the previous year, signalling the growing potential of its tourism industry.
'To capitalise on this momentum, we have, over the past year, intensified our focus on developing the tourism sector, which is more sustainable and closer to the people. The BFF is one of the key drivers of this strategic shift,' she said.
The minister said the festival's impact is expected to go beyond tourism, generating local socioeconomic opportunities, particularly for the hotel, food, and small business sectors.
'We are targeting 50,000 visitors with an anticipated RM20 million in direct economic impact, while aiming to attract returning visitors in the long run,' she said.
Dr Zaliha said beyond its local economic goals, BFF 2025 also champions regional collaboration under the theme of 'Strengthening Borneo Regional Cooperation.'
The festival features 31 landscape exhibitors, including participants from the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan, as well as neighbouring states Sabah and Sarawak, and international partners from Brunei Darussalam and Kalimantan, Indonesia.
'This cross-border participation reflects our collective commitment to positioning Borneo as a new reference point for the development of the tropical landscape and horticulture industries in the region,' she said.
She noted the festival conveys a message far beyond flowers and landscaping; it represents a collective readiness to enhance economic, cultural, and community networks across borders, fostering a complementary and resilient regional ecosystem.
'The diversity of this region is our strength. BFF 2025 will open new avenues for knowledge exchange, investment promotion, and regional trade integration in tourism, landscape, and horticulture sectors. It will also reinforce Malaysia's commitment to ASEAN goals and the BIMP-EAGA cooperation framework,' she added.-Bernama
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