Penang Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be signed by both gardens in January.
He said the MoU entails the transfer of technology on matters of horticulture, research and capacity building, among others.
“We are excited to cooperate with Singapore as the two gardens share geographical similarities and historical links from their formative years.
“The objective is to increase the accessibility and knowledge of both parties’ floristic resources and enhance research and training in botany, plant conservation, horticulture and botanical gardens management,” Jagdeep told reporters at the Penang Botanic Gardens here today.
The Singapore Botanic Gardens was inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2015.
The garden was the first in Asia and third in the world to be given this honour, following Orto botanico di Padova in Italy and the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, England.
Recently, the Penang Botanic Gardens came under new management via a government-linked corporation, following the passing of the Penang State Park (Botanic) Corporation Enactment 2017.
Following that, Aliran had urged the state government to ensure this would not result in profits being put before people and the over-commercialisation of a cherished public facility.
“We are concerned the corporatisation could be a first step towards the eventual privatisation and further commercialisation of the botanical gardens.”
The NGO also wanted an assurance that the enactment would not pave the way towards the building of a cable car from the Penang Botanic Gardens to Penang Hill.
130-year-old raintree at Penang Botanical Gardens to be removed
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2015/06/23/penangs-botanical-garden-a-sore-sight/