WELCOMING SPEECH BY GENERAL MANAGER OF LADA DATO' KAMARULZAMAN ABD. GHANI
Bismillahirohmanirrohim
Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarokatuh
Yang Berhormat Dato’ Seri Mahdzir bin Khalid Menteri Besar, the Chief Minister of Kedah;
Yang Teramat Mulia Dato’ Seri Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz binti Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Tuanku Sultan Abdul Halim Mua’adzam Shah, the Princess of Kedah;
Yang Berhormat Ahli-ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri, State Ministers of Kedah;
Honorable Dr. Margaret Patzak, Chairperson, UNESCO Global Geoparks Network Committee;
Puan Norfaliza bt. Ismail, UNESCO office Malaysia;
Yang Berbahagia Dato’ Prof Dr Ibrahim Komoo, Prof Dr Shafeea Leman senior proponents of Langkawi Geopark;
Honorable Guests, Conference Delegates, Department Heads of Government and Non-Governmental Organizations, Members of the Press and Media.
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen. A very Good Evening to everyone and welcome to LANGKAWI GEOPARK!
It is a pleasure for me to be here this evening and am most honored to welcome you to Langkawi in conjunction with the 1st Regional Conference on Asia-Pacific Geoparks and Business Dialogue currently being held here, in this beautiful island of Langkawi Geopark, in our large Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre more popularly known as the Mahsuri Hall or the LIMA Hall. In this same hall in December, another big event will be held here called the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Or LIMA) which is biannual mega event fro in Langkawi Geopark.
On behalf of LADA, I wish to extend a very warm welcome to all distinguished delegates, and guests with our traditional greeting – SELAMAT DATANG. I sincerely hope that you all will have a pleasant stay in Langkawi Geopark.
On this auspicious and memorable occasion, I would like to place on record my sincere appreciation to UNESCO for giving their official support to make possible the hosting of this conference in Langkawi Geopark. For the people of Langkawi, the choice of Langkawi Geopark, is very appropriate since Langkawi thrives on the tourism industry with nature being its biggest asset. My sincere gratitude also goes to co-organizers and supporters, namely UKM, of course Forestry Department, Department of Minerals and Geo-Science, Ministry of Tourism, MATTA, Malaysia Airlines and many other government and non-government agencies down the list.
I have no doubt that this Conference will be of great benefit to all of us. This meeting can be regarded as a practical manifestation of domestic and international co-operation, and collaboration that will further strengthen ties between our people and our governments, besides enhancing the national strategies and policies of natural resources and environmental management, eco-friendly sustainable development and responsible tourism.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Through the MoU signed in 1996, LADA and UKM (National University of Malaysia) have brought about the birth of Langkawi Geopark.
The aggressive devotion and dedication, and with earnest support from the Honorable Chief Minister of Kedah and the Federal Government, particularly the Ministry of Finance, pays off when Langkawi Geopark, the first Geopark in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, is now recognized internationally, following its listing in the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network on June 1 2007
Moving forward, we have agreed to collaborate to promote Langkawi Geopark. This conference will pare the way towards serious interactions and networking in support of the agenda laid down by the Global Geoparks Network Committee of UNESCO
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Langkawi Geopark is unique. It is made up of 99 islands. This hall is within Langkawi Geopark. There are three Geoforest Parks within Langkawi Geopark. The Machinchang Cambrian Geoforest Park which is the oldest geological formation in Malaysia known as the Machinchang Formation. This oldest rocks, made of fine medium-grain sandstone, provide the historical proofs that it is the birth place of Malaysia and South East Asia.
The Kilim Limestone Geoforest Park features outstanding dominating tropical island karsts, the eastern part of the main Langkawi Island and the adjacent small islands of the Setul Formation, unique and among the most beautiful in the world. Within this Park, caves and mangrove are plentiful for exploration and sight seeing, apart from the world-famous eagle feeding & viewing.
The Dayang Bunting Marble Geoforest Park includes mainly Pulau Dayang Bunting & Pulau Tuba. One of the most unique features is Tasik Dayang Bunting, a freshwater lake set in a collapsed doline cave. The combination of the landscapes from marble & granite bedrocks formed a figure resembling a pregnant woman.
Distinguished Participants Ladies and Gentlemen;
The island of Langkawi, as a natural paradise, is perhaps unmatched anywhere else in South East Asia. The rich diversity of flora and fauna and geodiversity offer nature lovers amazing sights and sounds.
With many added state-of-the-art facilities, apart from its natural beauty and fascinating folklore, myths and legends, Langkawi will continue to become a much more popular destination for both local and foreign tourists alike, under the geopark banner.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In conclusion, allow me to once again bid you all a warm welcome to the fascinating Langkawi Geopark. I am positive that you will find your short stay here very memorable for you all to bring home after this Convention. Howeres, deep down my heart, I want to sincerely apologies for any shortcomings in the course of preparing for this congregation, particularly to Margarete, Patrick and Nickholas who were put at the edge of their seats, jittery, in facing the wrath of what I’d call the ‘courier service debacle’ for late in delivering the airline tickets. My apologies. But now that everybody is here, enjoy your stay and have a fruitful deliberation. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to contact any secretariat members who will try to assist you in the best way possible.
Sekian.
Assalamualaikum Warahmatullah Hiwabarakatuh.
Thank you. Xie xie
TERIMA KASIH.
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