Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Hibiscus chosen as symbol of Visit Malaysia Year 2007

Logo of Visit Malaysia Year 2007

By Lyna Mohamad

Found in abundance throughout Malaysia and originally chosen as the national flower in 1960 by its first prime minister, Tunku Abd Rahman Putra Al-Haj, a stylised illustration of Hibiscus Rosa Sinensis has been selected as the logo for Visit Malaysia Year 2007.

The flower is selected due to its five petals which symbolise the five principles of nationhood in Malaysia while the red heart-shaped petal signifies Malaysians welcoming the world with open arms, which is further reinforced by the letter "M".

The logo which carries the slogan "Celebrating 50 years of Nationhood", the word "Malaysia" is written in freehand to conform with the overall design of existing "Malaysia Truly Asia" tagline while presenting a liberal nation and its accommodating population with the intention to portray the prevailing sense of casualness and lack of formality in the country that often impresses many visitors.

Representing the country's 50 years of independence while at the same time reinforcing Tourism Malaysia's existing corporate logo is the five dots of the stamen and the imagery also denotes Malaysia's rising prominence in the region as a modern nation and indicate hope and happiness.

The five petals of the VMY 2007 logo in different pastel colours - red, orange, yellow, blue and green - symbolise the vitality, openness and hospitality for which Malaysians are well known (red), warm, tropical holidays all year round (orange), constitutional monarchy, belief in God and the rule of law that contributes to the nation's socio-economic and political stability (yellow).

The blue meanwhile symbolises clear and friendly tropical skies, its rich, warm seas and endless hours of fun and recreation and green conveys their rich tropical, natural heritage, the million year-old rainforests and the vast biodiversity and ecosystems that they have to offer in abundance to the world.

Malaysia first had its VMY in 1990 and the following VMY was held in 1994. VMY 2007 aims to aggressively develop and market Malaysia as a major international tourist destination, further increase foreign tourists arrivals, encourage visitors to extend their stay and increase their spending while holidaying in the country, popularise and promote tourism-related activities, programmes and events showcasing the uniqueness of Malaysia as a tourist destination and to stimulate the growth of domestic tourism.

Among the highlights of events and festivals during the VMY 2007 include Floral Parade in Kuala Lumpur (January 2, 2007), Le Tour de Langkawi (February 2-11, 2007), Petronas Malaysian F1 Grand Prix (March 16-18, 2007), Colours and Flavours of Malaysia Parade, Kuala Lumpur (July 7, 2007), Rainforest World Music festival, Sarawak (July 13-15, 2007), and the Merdeka Day Parade throughout Malaysia (August 31, 2007).

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

1 comment:

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