Meeting with HSI Board Members in Desa Paku, Malacca , Malaysia

On July 14, 2010 a visit was made by HSI Board members to Desa Paku Gardens in Malacca. This visit was made in conjunction with Floria 2010 in Putrajaya.The visit was arranged by Mr. Victor Lee of Singapore.From Malacca they will travel to Singapore where Heliconia Conference with be held started on July 15, and later they will travel to Serawak , East of Malaysia for post conference tour.
A short talk was given by Mr. Mushlim Musa , a heliconia pioneer in the country. He was once a board member of HSI then. Then a talk was given by me on research of heliconia in Malaysia.  I was introduced to the board members including Dr. Kolterman, Dr.Bryan Brumer (Registrar), Carla (Treasurer) and other members from various countries from India, Australia and Ivory Coast. A suggestion made whether to set up repository center in Malaysia, as it was told only seven such centers in the world. We are looking a proposal to set-up one, however 'local member drive' has to be made.
The gathering was very nice , peaceful and  friendly. We were served with local Malaysian sweet cakes or kueh like kueh koci, lepat, kueh ketayap or kueh  gulong etc. and later in the afternoon we we served with local Malaysian menus including sambal tahi minyak with petai, asam pedas with brinjal, chicken, Malaysian salads like ulam-ulam etc.Very very delicious, spicy  and mouth-watering!.
A field visit around the garden as to show visitors some of the exotic heliconis like H. salamonsis ; H. vellerigera (She Kong), H.lapispatha, Costus and a new cultivar H. pakurensis (?). There was also  Phenakospermum guyannnese (the tallest stritlizia in the world).The visitors were also shown Tongkat Ali (E. longofolia) plant an aphrodisiac plant for men which has bitter leaves as well kacip fatimah for women.
Some pictures of the visit as below.