in Kuching yesterday. PHOTO: PENERANGAN
Kuching yesterday.
KUCHING: Prince of Wales, Prince Charles visited the biggest orangutan rehabilitation centre, the Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre at Jalan Puncak Borneo, about 30 km from here, yesterday afternoon. Accompanied by Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Charles was warmly welcomed by officials of the wildlife rehabilitation centre on arrival at 4.36pm.
Immediately after that, the prince was ushered to a special visitors’ platform to view the orangutans in their natural surrounding. Later, Charles signed the Visitors’ Book and was briefed on the wildlife conservation work carried out by the centre before visiting the gallery containing details of the orangutans there.
Af ter vi s i t ing the cent re, Charles proceeded to the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre located at Km 20 of Jalan Puncak Borneo. The prince and his wife, Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker Bowles arrived in Kuching yesterday at 1.25pm for a brief visit to the state. Their Royal Highnesses flew to Kuching on Britain’s Royal Air Force aircraft from KLIA’s Bunga Raya Complex which took off at 11.45am.
Also on board the same plane were Minister-in-Attendance, Datuk Seri S. K. Devamany, who is Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, and British High Commissioner to Malaysia Vicki Treadell.
Their Royal Highnesses arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday on their maiden visit to Malaysia, which commemorated the 60th anniversary of bilateral relations between Malaysia and the United Kingdom. The visit to Malaysia is part of a tour of Their Royal Highnesses to Singapore, Malaysia and India from Oct 30 to Nov 9, aimed at strengthening ties between Britain and Asia.
Meanwhile, the royal couple was welcomed by Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah at the Kuching International Airport. Before leaving for Penang later in the evening, both Charles and Camilla visited the Sarawak Cultural Village here.
While Charles later visited Semenggoh Wildlife Centre and the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre, Camilla met with representatives of Purple Lily, a non-governmental organisation committed to inspiring and empowering disadvantaged women and young girls by providing life skills training and financial education. She arrived at 4.23 pm at the Old Court House here before proceeding for a discussion with the women group.
