PUTRAJAYA: This year, the Putrajaya Royal Floria Flower Festival or Royal Floria Putrajaya (RFP) will move to a new location and will be presenting the Pahang ‘Royal Garden Showcase’ as the festival’s main attraction.
Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad said the 11th edition of the RFP would be held at the Putrajaya Botanical Garden, Precinct 1 from Aug 31 to Sept 8 highlighting orchids and Bonsai as the theme and not at the usual venue at Anjung Floria, Precinct 4.
He said the move was expected to save up to RM1 million as organisers did not have to ‘bring’ the park to such sites as was the case with Anjung Floria as the Botanical Garden physically met the criteria required.
“The savings will not change the original concept of the festival, nor has the participation or activity been reduced as previously organised,” he said at a RFP pre-launch press conference here yesterday.
Also present was Putrajaya Corporation President Datuk Dr Aminuddin Hassim.
With the theme ‘Mother of All Gardens’, Khalid said the Royal Garden Showcase at this year’s RFP was in line with the installation of the Sultan of Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
“Interestingly, the showcase will feature an orchid named Queen Azizah Iskandar, after Her Majesty Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, the Raja Permaisuri Agong,” he said.
Khalid said the selection of Botanical Garden, which had a rich and mature collection of plants, could add mileage to the RFP as well as promote the park itself.
Asked about parking, Khalid said besides 1,500 parking lots in the Botanical Garden, the organisers would also provide buses for visitors and ‘water taxi’ services. — Bernama