preserving Malaysia's green heritage

[Guest guest]

Poison Control - Sunday Times 21st April 2002

 

Towards preserving the richness of Malaysia's green heritage

By Zulkifli Abdul Razak

 

April 21: WORLD Earth Day, first celebrated internationally in

1990, initially started in 1970 as an environmental awareness

event in the United States.

 

Today, it has become a powerful global catalyst for awareness

and change.

 

This time around, World Earth Day is even more meaningful given

the various issues relating to air and water quality now confronting

Malaysia.

 

One of them is the state of our forests and its unparallel

biodiversity. Reportedly, some of its flora and fauna are under

threat.

 

According to the book, Malaysia Environment - Alert 2001, " a

total of 614 known species of mammals, birds, reptiles, fishes and

plants are threatened and dying out. " We stand to lose our most

valuable resources and heritage if the country's forests are further

tempered with. One such real possibility is the plan to " develop "

part of the forest reserve in Kepong where the Forest Research

Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) is located.

 

When discussing the forest, at least two aspects of biodiversity

come to mind - genetic and species diversity.

 

The latter refers to the richness or variety of species in a region,

whereas genetic diversity refers to the variation of genes within

species. It covers distinct population of the same species or

genetic variation within a population.

 

This is where the FRIM " scare " must be taken seriously since

Malaysia could be deprived of a potential botanical garden of

international standing, the Kepong Botanical Garden, FRIM said.

 

As it stands today, the Penang Botanical Garden is Malaysia's

only gazetted botanical garden, and is the oldest. If we are serious

about our green heritage as is the case of the Penang Botanical

Garden, the country should have many more such gardens.

 

Created during the British administration in 1884, the garden

today occupies a 30hectare site, nestled in a valley described by

some as " an amphitheatre of hills " covered with lush tropical

rainforests.

 

It is sometimes called the Waterfall Garden because of the

cascading waterfall nearby. According to one source, the

collection " has since become significant samples in the world's

major herbariums. " While some plants were brought from the

famous Kew Gardens in England, many are local species. Among

them are trees locally known as Seraya or Shoerea curtisii, after

Charles Curtis, the architect and designer of the garden. Yet

another name closely linked to the Penang green heritage is that of

a local botanist, Mohamed Haniff (1872-1930).

 

Haniff's legacy can be clearly felt in a highly sought-after volume

on Malayan economic plants - The Economic Products of the

Malay Peninsula - which he co-authored with I.H. Burkill.

 

Citing an article by Mohd Nor Jamalul Lail in the second issue of

Folia malaysiana (http://www.foliamy.com.my), Haniff was

employed as a botanical apprentice under Curtis at the Penang

Botanical Garden. Over the years, Haniff " made significant

herbarium and living collections for the Gardens Department of

the Straits Settlements. " Several local plants were even named

after him - Eugenia haniffii (Henderson, 1923), Dendrobium

haniffii (Ridley, 1924) and Bulbophyllum hanifii (Carr, 1932).

 

In addition, the naming of one ginger family, the Haniffia (Holttum)

was suggested to " commemorate " the late Haniff in 1950. This

made Haniff the first Malaysian after whom a botanical genus has

been named.

 

All these go to show how since over a century ago, painstaking

efforts have been cultivated to preserve genetic and species

diversity in this country.

 

In fact, of late, in Penang alone, an extensive population of

Haniffia (Holttum) was discovered. Among them is another new

variety, identified only in the state, and also named after Haniff,

this time by C.K Lim, also mentioned in the same issue of Folia

malaysiana, Interestingly enough, the first Earth Day allegedly

started as teach-ins involving 20 million participants, addressing

decades of environmental pollution. The event subsequently led to

the US Congress to pass Clean Air and Water Acts, and the

establishment of the US Environmental Protection Agency to

research and monitor environmental issues as well as implement

environmental laws.

 

By highlighting and recognising the works and efforts of

Malaysians like Mohamed Haniff, similar events will take place

among the present generation to safeguard our biodiversity.

Names like Curtis and in particular Haniff should be kept alive

during every Earth Day celebration to inspire us to protect and

promote the richness of Malaysian green heritage in its totality -

be it genetic, species, ecosystem and even cultural diversity.

 

Thus, in the same tradition as that of Malaysia's oldest botanical

garden, the Penang Botanical Garden, we need to continue to

create new gardens, for example the Kepong Botanical Garden.

 

Without such greeneries, not only is our heritage seriously

endangered, so too is our survival recognising the intimate

relationships and interdependency of our existence on our natural

and undisturbed environment.

 

* Please post your response to The National Poison Centre,

Universiti Sains Malaysia, tel 04-657 0099; fax 04-656

8417; email prnnet.

 

Recommended site:

http://www.sukpp.gov-.my/KebunBunga/main.html