MILAN, Oct 5 – Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak launched a ‘Malaysia Day’ celebration at the Expo Milano here on Saturday. The celebration, organised by the expo organiser for the countries participating in the world’s largest exposition held once in five years, was attended by the Italian Minister of Environment, Land and Sea, Gian Luca Galletti.
“Malaysian pavilion at the expo, in the shape of four seeds, reflected Malaysia’s journey as a nation, pursuing its socio-economic developmental goals in an innovative, sustainable and environmentally conscious manner. The design was inspired by the seeds found in the Malaysian rainforest, which make up an important part of the nation’s rich biodiversity, from virgin jungles to spectacular islands, cool highlands and an eco-system that nurtured many unique flora and fauna,” said Najib.
“A seed is a symbol of growth, signifying the beginning of a journey, and the potential within. The curves of the building and the weaving patterns on the structure reflect the versatility and dynamism of the nation,” he said in his speech and added that it was designed by a home-grown architectural firm.
“Pavilion was constructed with glue-laminated timber produced from local sustainable sources, and showcased Malaysia s capabilities in both design and the use of innovative materials. The pavilion is also an emphatic statement of Malaysia’s social, cultural, ethnic, religious, linguistic and even culinary diversity,” he said.
Najib said he hoped that Malaysia s participation in this edition of the expo would give Malaysia the opportunity to showcase to Italy, and to Europe, what Malaysia was all about. He said Malaysia is a trading nation, and among the sectors we are focusing on here in Milan are green technology, energy, manufacturing and services.
Najib said he hoped that the Malaysian pavilion would encourage the business community to discover or re-discover Malaysia’s attractiveness as an investment destination. He also expressed his happiness that 2.4 million people had visited the Malaysian pavilion, and were able to savour a selection of Malaysian culinary delights at a dedicated F&B area.
“Like Italians, Malaysians are passionate about food. In our part of the world, it is often used as a metaphor for one s wellbeing. If you have had a glimpse of the vast array of Malaysian culinary delights at this expo, then you have already had an indication of how well Malaysia has done since our independence in 1957,” he said on a lighter note.
Meanwhile, Najib also said that the theme of the Malaysia Pavilion, Towards a Sustainable Food Ecosystem , complemented the expo title of Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life. The event also present was Malaysian International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed and Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz.
