Time to revive five petals, five principles emblem Stories by CHERYL POO starmag@thestar.com.

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Its been more than half a century since the hibiscus was named Malaysias national flower. Its time to revive this wilting emblem. THERE was a time when our national flower, the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, was a common element in our daily lives. I remember when, as a lower primary school child in the 1980s, we learned to draw and colour the red bunga raya. Do tourists appreciate Malaysias national flower more than Malaysians? Stacy Harris, 28, from San Francisco, was full of admiration for this hibiscus painting at the Santubong cultural village in Sarawak. Beneath the gentle whir of dusty ceiling fans, my classmates and I pressed coloured pencils onto sheets of art paper as our teacher called out, What is our national flower? The red bunga raya! wed chorus. Why was it chosen? Red for courage and life, five petals for five principles in Rukun Negara, we would sing out before proceeding to recite the principles we had learnt by heart. That was how we learned about the flower, and were instilled with patriotic values at the same time, in our youth. The flowers gorgeous wide petals and willowy filament showed up again in our Biology textbook in secondary school, specifically, I recall, in the Plant Sexuality chapter. It was, apparently, the ideal example for study. It had also been deemed the ideal flower to symbolise the nation back in the exciting days after Merdeka in 1957. Not without a battle, though. The hibiscus is not a native species so it faced stiff competition from local flowers like the jasmine, kenanga, lotus, and many others. Shaping the hibiscus during a Merdeka day celebration. After close contention with the anggerik kinta (a wild orchid that was popularised through flower contests in Australia) that even involved Parliamentary debates, the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis won the heart of our first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman. From the time of its inauguration as our national flower in 1961 until the early 1990s, the hibiscus was widely displayed; if not the actual plant, images of it were seen on banners decking stages, poles and buildings. Whenever there was a national-themed poster competition, the red bunga raya was always included, recalls Suzainur Kar, a 34-year-old housewife who remembers the era of the red hibiscus. Besides decoration, citizens traditionally had other uses for the plant: before Western makeup reached our shores, hibiscus petals were used to darken and enhance womens eyebrows; the hibiscus plants roots were boiled as a cure for fever and other ailments; skin and glandular problems were relieved by drinking the juice derived from the leaves; a poultice derived from it could relieve headaches; the flowers was stuffed to make fritters while the petals were steeped to make a tea. The flower must have some sort of an universal appeal because it has been chosen as the national flower by other nations around the world. There is Hawaiis famous yellow Hibiscus brackenridgei as well as South Koreas white Hibiscus syriacus, which is known as the rose of Sharon. It has been said that for centuries, the South Koreans have taken special pride in it because it represents the tenacity of their people, who have endured a difficult history. But what exactly does a national flower do in this day and age? In the face of increasing globalisation, are such emblems relevant or even desirable today? This is the Red Hibiscus Bracelet created by Faberg for its fine jewellery line, Les Fabuleuse. Forbes valued it at US$560,000 in 2009. File photos People who, like me, remember learning the Rukun Negara and associating it with this bright flower will know the answer to these questions: such symbols are a simple way of instilling a sense of national pride. To use a modern-day term, its a matter of branding. Just as, say, golden arches remind us of a certain fast food restaurant, national emblems, too, are supposed to remind people of the ideal values and principles espoused by their country. So where is the bunga raya in our lives now? Sadly, over the years, it seems to have largely lost its lustre. They dont seem to be very accessible today. I doubt Ive seen the plant in recreation parks in the Klang Valley or the flower at florists, observes housewife Josephine Chin, 40. They are very beautiful flowers, it is unfortunate that they are not common at all, despite being our national flower. Although there is a good variety of over 2,000 hibiscus species available at the Hibiscus Park adjoining the Orchid Park at Lake Gardens, Kuala Lumpur, people I spoke to shared Chins views and would like to see the bunga raya more widely distributed, decking streets, parks and buildings. Half a decade ago, there was a push for this very thing from the Government. We carried out a national flower planting campaign back in March 2005 that had been mandated by our (then) Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, says National Landscape Department director-general Haji Esa Ahmad. It was a successful campaign and most of the shrubs are still in bloom to this day around the country, such as along the stretch near the toll on the North-South highway, Esa says. In fact, according to a report by the State Government Secretariat, which keeps track of the planting of flora in each state, 3,080,879 hibiscus shrubs have been planted throughout Malaysia, as of December 2010.

However, most of these shrubs have been planted in parks and not along major roads and highways or in residential areas where they would be easily visible to more people. The managing director of Lee Landscapes Sdn Bhd, a landscaping company that handles large projects, offers a possible explanation for the lack of hibiscus plantings in public areas. Jimmy Lee points out that, although attractive, the hibiscus tends to be problematic, as it attracts plant diseases and insects such as white flies, which cause the plant to disintegrate quickly. We discovered over the years that maintaining hibiscus shrubs along highway borders and residential areas requires way more maintenance than other plants that have proven to be hardier, such as the bougainvillea or calathea, which also bloom all year round. We normally spray roadside shrubs once a month but hibiscus shrubs require bi-monthly spraying. Were concerned about the amount of pesticides released into the environment, for it can be harmful to residents of that area, Lee explains. One solution is to develop more durable hybrids of the hibiscus that landscapers can populate the streets with again. Unfortunately, it may be some time before that happens. Most of our local plant hybrids are developed overseas, explains Assoc Prof Dr Thohirah Lee Abdullah, an ornamental horticulturist at University Putra Malaysia. Our Hibiscus rosa-sinensis hybrids are developed in Hawaii and Florida, in the United States, says the researcher, whose work relies heavily on public funding since there isnt much private sector interest. According to her, contrary to common belief in its hardiness, the hibiscus is a really sensitive plant. Two main factors directly influence its hybrid development: air quality and climate. Our climate is too hot for crossbreeding, and pollutants highway dust and grime can jeopardise research results, Dr Thohirah continues. Most of the plants we have here were originally imported from other countries. The ones that we see around today are plants that have managed to adapt to the warm climate. Last October, the Government once again made an effort to raise the bunga rayas profile. There was a 50-year commemoration of the national flower held at the National Craft Complex in Jalan Conlay, KL, where a bunga raya theme song, a commemorative coin, issued by Bank Negara, and stamp, issued by Pos Malaysia, were launched. Information, Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim says, Since the National Heritage Act came into force three years ago, the bunga raya is recognised once again and we now have the formality to promote it. All this time, we have not done enough to promote and emblemise it as the national flower of Malaysia. The Government is planning on eliciting interest in and understanding of the plant among the rakyat, especially among the younger generation. We will be helping State Governments, NGOs and, most crucially, the Education Ministry, to inculcate the importance of our national heritage, Dr Rais says. Also, the red hibiscus emblem will be displayed in all national programmes. Further efforts through essay and photography contests will be held throughout the nation continuing into this year. We will be partnering with various broadcast media, such as Media Prima and Astro, to organise drawing competitions and other programmes to popularise the bunga raya once again. It would be nice, indeed, to see the bright flower abloom again in our lives, reminding us of those five national principles.