by Allan G Dumbong
A community-based interpretation gallery dedicated to the rafflesia flower has been officially opened in Kundasang, Sabah, marking the first such facility in Malaysia.
The Mt Kinabalu Bongol Rafflesia Garden’s Interpretation Gallery was launched on Saturday, 27 June 2026, by Sabah Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department and Chairman of the Sabah Tourism Board, Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, who is also the Assemblyman for Kiulu.
The gallery, funded by the state government through the Sabah Tourism Board (STB), aims to promote rafflesia conservation and ecotourism. Located along the Tamparuli-Kundasang Road, the facility is a community-based project owned by Koperasi Raflesia Bongol Berhad and managed by Botanicals Sabah Sdn Bhd.
The centre is designed to support sustainable conservation while offering visitors educational opportunities to learn about the rafflesia, particularly Rafflesia keithii, a species endemic to Sabah.
In his speech, delivered by his representative Justin Ginduk, Datuk Joniston praised the cooperative and Botanicals Sabah for their ecological conservation initiative. He said the project not only educates the public but also attracts foreign tourists keen to see the world’s largest flower in its natural habitat.
“I am happy to note that hundreds of visitors have already come to this place even before the gallery was installed,” the Assistant Minister’s representative said.
Managing Director of Botanicals Sabah, Dr Julius Kulip, and Chairman of the Cooperative, Jaimond Lambud, expressed gratitude to the government for its ongoing support. Dr Kulip, a renowned botanist, will provide rafflesia ecology education to the cooperative, the local community and visitors.
The opening ceremony was also attended by representatives of MP for Tuaran and State Assemblyman for Tamparuli, Wilfred Madius Tangau, as well as Assistant District Officer of Kiulu, Leprus Binesuvas; Director of the Cooperative Commission of Malaysia (Sabah Region), Haji Awang Ruslli Bin Hj Mohammad; and Chief Executive Officer of the Sabah Tourism Board, Julinus Jeffrey Jimit.
